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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29126088">In My Mind (In Your Head)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/LonelyBear/pseuds/LonelyBear'>LonelyBear</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Legacies (TV 2018)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Dark Hope Mikaelson, Dark Hosie?, Dark Josie?, F/F, F/M, Hosie, Hosie Endgame, Jaleb, Mizzie, Slow Burn, knight Hope?, little handon, not sorry, or aka my version of season 3, season 3 re-write, sorry - Freeform</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-05-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 05:56:23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>20,616</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29126088</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/LonelyBear/pseuds/LonelyBear</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Ever since Hope woke up, something has been off. Maybe it was how she acted, or the way she walked with more pep in her steps. Maybe Josie didn't notice first, maybe she wasn't the only one who noticed Hope's weird reaction to certain topics. It may have been all in Josie's head, or that's what she thought.</p><p>Josie is on a mission to overcome her Dark Josie past and try to move forward, Lizzie and MG have been getting close, and Landon and Hope are having some issues. Kaleb and Jed have been talking more and Alyssa Chang is on a roll to claim her revenge. Yet, something is definitely wrong with Hope.</p><p>or</p><p>The Dark Hope au</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Hope Mikaelson/Josie Saltzman, Kaleb Hawkins/Jed, Landon Kirby &amp; Hope Mikaelson, Milton "MG" Greasley/Lizzie Saltzman</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>41</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>254</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hey, so I posted this idea on Twitter and a few people encouraged me to write it, so I finally got some time to write and got to make this first chapter! I hope you enjoy this and sorry if there is any grammar mistakes, I'm not very good with my grammar /:</p><p>also, sorry for the handon scene at the beginning. I had to re-watch that scene so many times that I have their words to each other memorized -_-</p><p>Anyways, here's the way I would write season 3.</p><p>Enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>     The room was colder without her, Landon thought. He watched her as she slept, her face seemed peaceful, it wasn’t something you always saw from Hope. He brought his hand to her face, finally being able to touch her soft skin. His hand glided to her auburn hair; it was silky like he remembered. He wanted to be there for her, he wanted her to wake up and see him… just him.</p><p>
  <em>Who do you think she’s going to want to see when she wakes up?</em>
</p><p>Maybe Landon will blame it on that, maybe it was his pride or his need to be assured that she loved him; those were his last thoughts before he leaned down to kiss her.</p><p>He waited for her to open her eyes, he needed her to open her eyes. He wanted to see her, he wanted to see the one he loves.</p><p>
  <em>Come on, open your eyes.</em>
</p><p>His hands started to sweat, there should be nothing to doubt, but there always was. What if she doesn’t love him? What if the kiss didn’t work? What if it wasn’t a true loves kiss? What if their relationship meant nothing to her? What if he wasn’t enough for her? He just wanted her to wake up, he wanted to see her beautiful blue eyes, her cute little smile, he wanted to see his girlfriend.</p><p>Then, her eyes fluttered open and blue hues stared back at him; all his doubts washed away.</p><p>
  <em>almost.</em>
</p><p>“Landon?”</p><p>Landon couldn’t keep away the grin that began to form on his face. He helped her up and pulled her into a hug, her warmth overwrapping him.</p><p>“you’re here” she whispered, her breathe tickling his ear.</p><p>“for you… always” he whispered back, his empty words filling the room.</p><p>They stayed there, holding each other and enveloping in each other’s warmth.</p><p> </p><p>---</p><p> </p><p>“Does it still smell like a dead body in here?” Landon asked as a weird stench filled his nose.</p><p>“No…” Hope replied softly, like she didn’t give a care in the world about what’s going on outside of that room. To be truthful, Landon liked it… he liked it a lot.</p><p>‘it smells like Ocean Dusk” Her eyes looked over his shoulder at the burning purple candle.</p><p>“I’m really happy I didn’t have to see you that way.”</p><p>“me too” he said as he watched her put her head closer to his shoulder. He brought his hand to her arm, gliding his fingers over the soft skin again.</p><p>“How do you think you knew?” he was genuinely curious.</p><p>“I just… did” Hope answered. Yet this just made Landon have more questions, “it made me want to stay asleep forever.”</p><p>If Landon got any weird vibes from her, he didn’t say anything.</p><p>“What made you decide to come back?”</p><p>“I knew you’d kick my ghost ass if I didn’t” he said trying to add humor into the odd situation.</p><p>“Fair” she said with a small smile.</p><p>“Me and Rafael made a pledge. Him and me, every day, waking up and taking the fight to the bad guys”.</p><p>“So, like a super side-squad?”</p><p>“We’re gonna get a Bat-Signal so you’ll know how to call on us” Landon said, being his nerdy self.</p><p>“I don’t think I’m ever gonna get that far away from you again” Hope said trying to joke around, but was it really a joke? Landon knew she wouldn’t allow him out of her sight.</p><p>He took her in, he precious features, how brave and heroic she is. He wanted to be that someday too, he wanted to help her, he wanted to be enough.</p><p>He leaned in to kiss her again.</p><p> </p><p>---</p><p> </p><p>To put it in simpler terms, Josie was going with the cycle of the after-effects of dark Josie. Alyssa had every right to be mad at her, hell the whole school does. Josie caused people to get hurt and now she must pay the consequences. She could deal with a few face-plants and mud baths; she could deal with it if she knew that people weren’t going to let it go easily. She doesn’t want people to act like it never happened because it DID happen. If this is how she can apologize, if this is how she can make it up to them then so be it.</p><p>“earth to Jo” Lizzie said annoyed.</p><p>“what?” Josie asked snapping out of her thoughts.</p><p>They had made it back to their room after fighting off the Knight.</p><p>“You’re not even paying attention to me, what’s on your mind? I swear if you bring up how hot Rafael looked when he killed that-”</p><p>“No Lizzie” She said chuckling sadly.</p><p>“oh well… what is it then?”</p><p>“I just think that I might need a break…”</p><p>“Oh” Lizzie said almost shocked, Josie never really took initiative about her feelings.</p><p>“I just think that it might be good for me, maybe it would be better for people to not see me around here for a little. I can concentrate on myself-”</p><p>“Not like that” Lizzie interrupted.</p><p>“what do you mean?”</p><p>“I mean not like that. Don’t punish yourself for something you didn’t mean to happen, it wasn’t your fault. It wasn’t you. Sure, you should do the break, but I don’t think running away from your problems is going to help you Jo.”</p><p>Josie sat on her bed facing her twin, shocked by Lizzie’s words.</p><p>“What do you suggest I do then?”</p><p>“I have an idea” Lizzie said with a happy smile ready to explain everything to her sister.</p><p>That’s how Josie found herself at her dad’s office.</p><p>“Lizzie and I decided it would be best if I get help from mom…” Josie sat in her chair looking at her father.</p><p>“Like how Lizzie did when we went to visit mom, but this time me.”</p><p>“I think it would be good for you, I mean I can discuss with your mom if I could send you over there-”</p><p>“No dad, I shouldn’t run away from my problems. I was actually wondering if mom can come stay here and, I don’t know, be my support and help me with” Josie looked around raising her arms as if to gesture the school “this.”</p><p>Alaric watched his daughter with curious eyes, maybe it wasn’t such a bad idea.</p><p>“I’ll call your mother and see what I can do” he answered her with a smile.</p><p>Josie nodded with a smile and started to get up and leave.</p><p>“Josie, if you ever need anything from me… just let me know.”</p><p>She turned towards her father and gave him a small smile before walking out.</p><p> </p><p>---</p><p> </p><p>“So how did it go” Lizzie asked when Josie got back.</p><p>“It went good” Josie smiled practically jumping onto her sister’s bed.</p><p>“now that we have that over with, I heard that Hope and Landon woke up” Lizzie turned towards her sister.</p><p>“He did? Wait, did you just say Hope was dead too?”</p><p>“No, Hope was in a magic coma of sorts. Landon, well yeah he was dead.”</p><p>Josie was overwhelmed with relief, “How did they wake them up?”</p><p>“Long story short, Raf could see Landon, told Landon to go back into his body to ‘save’ Hope, yada yada yada, Landon woke up Hope with a kiss. At least that’s what Rafael told me”</p><p>A sudden wave of resentment hit Josie hard in the chest, all she wanted to do was cast a spell using dark magic.</p><p>“Can’t believe that true love thing worked though” Lizzie’s face showed pure disgust, breaking Josie out of her thoughts.</p><p>“Oh, yeah. Not that surprised though” Josie said with a fake laugh.</p><p>“yeah, though I wish bird brain had stayed dead” Lizzie said with a straight face.</p><p>“you don’t mean that” Josie shoved her sister with a real grin on her face.</p><p>“Okay, maybe I don’t but he’s still a pain in the ass.”</p><p>“Shut up Lizzie” Josie pulled the covers over them curling into her sister’s side.</p><p>“Whatever.”</p><p> </p><p>---</p><p> </p><p>The ground was muddy, and the trees smelt of rain. That was the first thing Josie noticed, the next thing she noticed was the cabin from her subconscious. The world seemed almost calmer and the sun shined brighter.</p><p>She started to walk on a small path leading deeper into the woods.</p><p>The trees seemed to grow longer, and the sun seemed to disappear as the moon took over, the deeper she went in the darker it got. The path vanished and there she was… stranded in the middle of a nightmare, even the moon was nowhere to be found.</p><p>Soon the quite sounded loud like she was straining to hear something, anything. The smell of burnt wood filled her nose and whispers started to be heard. Josie couldn’t tell if they were spells or just gibberish.</p><p>Rain started to poor down and thunder could be heard as the whispers grew louder. Lightning flashed across the sky; shining a bit of light for a split second, but it was enough for Josie to see a figure standing almost 8 feet away from her.</p><p>Another lightning cracked and the figure got closer.</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Crack</em>
</p><p> </p><p>closer.</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Crack.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Closer.</p><p> </p><p>Josie’s heartbeat picked up and her breath became ragged.</p><p>Lighting shot out of the sky hitting a tree next to her, lighting it on fire illuminating her surroundings.</p><p>That’s when she saw her.</p><p>“Don’t let her fool you” Hope said, her red cape drooping down her shoulders, her face seemed tired and pale. Hope’s voice seemed pleading, she fell to the floor in pain, hiding her face as she stared at the rocky ground.</p><p>Josie stopped breathing; she didn’t know what to do. The voices kept growing and the fire got closer and hotter, burning everything in its path.</p><p>Hope snapped her head up, her eyes black.</p><p>Josie gasped tripping and falling backwards.</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Falling.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Falling.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Falling.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>“Wake up JOSAYYY!!! We’re going to be late, come on” Lizzie shook her awake.</p><p>“Lizzie it’s a Saturday” Josie groaned, burying her head into her pillow.</p><p>“Yeah, I know. What about it?”</p><p>“What are we going to be doing so early in the morning on a Saturday?” Josie pulled her head up to look her sister in the eyes with the most angered face she could pull.</p><p>“Sheesh, don’t do that face, you look like cat that was just thrown into the rain” Lizzie said rolling her eyes.</p><p>
  <em>Rain. Thunder. Hope. Falling.</em>
</p><p>“Hey, snap out of it Josette! Today we are having an all-friends hiking trip!” Lizzie clapped her hands together in excitement.</p><p>“We’re going hiking?”</p><p>“Yes! Rafael, MG, Kaleb, Jed, Landon, and Hope are coming.”</p><p>
  <em>Hope and Landon? Didn’t they just wake up out of their comas?</em>
</p><p>“Did we really have to go so early in the morning?”</p><p>“Duh, if we want to hike when it’s not too hot, we should leave now. Also, I would recommend you bring an extra pair of cloths” Lizzie said running towards the door.</p><p>“Wait! Lizzie what do you-”</p><p>Lizzie slammed the door before Josie could finish her sentence.</p><p>“Well, that’s just great.”</p><p> Josie flung herself back onto her pillow.</p><p>Josie couldn’t get the dream out of her head, the way Hope looked so helpless and her eyes pure black. Maybe it was just a dream, maybe just a fragment of imagination. But something was telling Josie otherwise, deep down inside Josie felt something was off. Those words… who was she talking about?</p><p>
  <em>Don’t let her fool you.</em>
</p><p>For now, Josie had to get ready. She couldn’t just leave her friends hanging. So, she changed and packed an extra pair of cloths, making it out the door practically running.</p><p>
  <em>Don’t let her fool you.</em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Sooooo, here's an early update for you guys! I felt like I didn't give enough for the first chapter so I hope this is long enough. </p><p>Sorry again for grammar errors or spelling errors because I didn't really re-read it. </p><p>ALSO there's some Jaleb stuff in here heheeheh</p><p>oh and btw the first chapter was how I would write the ending of 3x01 so this would be 3x02 and no Rafael doesn't die because I don't think he deserved to go. From now on the timeline will be a little different from the show and I may steal some things but not a lot.</p><p>Enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>     It would be an understatement to say the day went horribly wrong. If Lizzie could go back to the bus she would, but now she’s stranded with the super-losers, apart from Hope and her sister… and maybe MG, but that’s not the point. The point is she’s pissed off that they even got into this situation!</p><p>Lizzie grabbed Landon’s shirt with a deadly grip, “Listen here bird boy, if you hadn’t-”</p><p>“It’s not his fault Lizzie” Josie grabbed her sister from behind, pulling her back.</p><p>Hope walked over to Landon rubbing his shoulder, trying to comfort him.</p><p>
  <em>He doesn’t deserve to be comforted after what he did!</em>
</p><p>“Whatever” Lizzie said marching off.</p><p>She looked up at the darkened sky, drained from all the walking. Maybe if she could find her way back to the bus, she can grab her phone and call her dad…</p><p>“Lizzie! Come back, we aren’t going to find our way back if we split up!” MG yelled from where everybody else was.</p><p>Lizzie turned around and smirked, “Your right MG, why don’t we all try to find the bus together! And while we’re at it why don’t we allow Landon there, lead us-”</p><p>Before Lizzie could finish her sentence, a loud growl could be heard from behind her.</p><p>“Oh shit” Kaleb squeaked.</p><p>“Run!” Landon yelled before he started sprinting through the woods.</p><p>“Like hell I’m going to listen to you!” Lizzie turned around, a spell at the tip of her tongue.</p><p>The beast in front of her growled viciously.</p><p>Now Lizzie kind of wished she listened to chicken little.</p><p>---</p><p>
  <strong>8 hours earlier (before the terrible)</strong>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>Kaleb entered the drivers’ seat, waiting for the others to hop in. For once, Mr. Saltzman wouldn’t be with them, which meant he was able to drive. He grinned to himself as he started the bus watching the others enter. Okay, so maybe he had taken the bus around a few times, just for the fun of it. But hey look, it worked out perfectly fine for him.</p><p>First came Lizzie, who had a huge smile on her face. Well, she was surprisingly happy.</p><p>Then entered MG, who as usual, was his happy smiling self.</p><p>Next was Jed, who had his intimidating demeanor. He yawned as he entered the van, sparing one glance at Kaleb before walking to the back seats. Kaleb huffed at Jed’s actions. Of course, he would act this way towards him even after Kaleb had helped him to the infirmary after he tried to fight the knight.</p><p>Next entered Hope who had Landon trailing behind her. Kaleb always wondered how Landon has won a girl like Hope. Maybe Landon could give him some good tips on how to win over girls.</p><p>“ouch Landon, can you be careful with where your stepping?” Hope said with a small smile, but Kaleb could hear the edge to her voice.</p><p>“Sorry, I didn’t mean to step on your shoe” Landon looked down at his feet as he apologized.</p><p>“Hey, can we hurry, I really want to get some breakfast” Rafael said to Landon and Hope as he waited for them to pile in. Rafael was able to finally enter, closing the door behind him.</p><p>“I think that’s all, you can go now Kaleb” Rafael said as he sat in the seat behind him.</p><p>Kaleb was about to press the gas when Hope spoke up.</p><p>“Isn’t your sister supposed to be here?”</p><p>Lizzie looked away from MG like she just noticed there were other people there with her.</p><p>“Oh yeah, she should be here any minute.”</p><p> </p><p>Any minute turned to two.</p><p> </p><p>To three.</p><p> </p><p>To four.</p><p> </p><p>To be honest, Kaleb lost track of how long it took.</p><p> </p><p>“Landon can you seriously stop tapping the seat please?” Hope said sternly, giving Landon a glare.</p><p>“Jeez Hope, did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed this morning or what?” Raphael asked watching her interaction with Landon.</p><p>Hope just huffed turning her head to the window.</p><p>“Jed, why are you here?”</p><p>“Because Lizzie asked me to be here” Jed answered.</p><p>Raf just nodded his head.</p><p>“I invited him because my dad forced me to, he said something about ‘Jed needing some time out of school’” Lizzie said with air quotes.</p><p>“Wait, you mean you didn’t ask because you thought I was h-”</p><p>“Whatever you’re about to say, don’t say it” Lizzie warned Jed.</p><p>He gulped turning his head down, his face turning a deep red from embarrassment.</p><p>The whole bus went quiet, everybody staring either out the windows or at their toes.</p><p>
  <em>Knock Knock Knock </em>
</p><p>Kaleb got up and opened the door to see an out of breath Josie.</p><p>“Damn girl, did we miss a marathon or something?”</p><p>She grimaced, “no”</p><p>Kaleb let her walk past him and into the bus.</p><p>This is going to be one hell of a ride.</p><p>---</p><p>
  <strong>6 hours before the terrible</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>Josie stretched her arms as she walked out of the bus. She really hadn’t been out of the school for a while.</p><p>“It’s nice to be out of the school for a little, isn’t it?” said a voice from behind her.</p><p>Josie jumped, turning around to be met by familiar blue eyes.</p><p>“Oh Hope, you should really not sneak up on people like that” Josie laughed a little.</p><p>“Why not?” Hope asked tilting her head, confused.</p><p>“Well because someone could freak out and hit you or something” she rubbed the back of her neck.</p><p>“You wouldn’t do that… would you?” Hope said leaning closer to Josie. So close that Josie could smell the mint on Hope’s breathe.</p><p>Josie quickly looked away from Hope, taking a step back, “of course not.”</p><p>“Then there’s nothing I need to worry about” Hope said giving her a cheeky grin.</p><p>
  <em>Rain. Hope. Blackness.</em>
</p><p>“Well, I’m going to go help Lizzie grab the stuff. Then we could head out” Josie said waving at Hope before running to Lizzie.</p><p>“Hey anything I can help with?”</p><p>“Uh sure, you can wear the backpack” Lizzie said shoving a backpack that feels like a large rock.</p><p>“what’s even in this thing?” Josie groaned as she slipped it on.</p><p>“Well, there’s water bottles and…. yeah, water bottles”</p><p>“Why would you put water bottles in a backpack?”</p><p>“Uhm, just incase I guess” Lizzie said with a shrug, “I mean if you want to carry the picnic basket, you can.”</p><p>Josie looked around for the picnic basket to see Hope picking it up.</p><p>“No, this is fine.”</p><p>“Okay then, let’s get moving everyone!”</p><p>The hike starts out nice, everybody is chatting and getting along. The trees only get more beautiful as they go up. The path is wide, and the leaves fall from the trees like they’re in some magical movie.</p><p>Josie sneaks a glance at Lizzie and MG who seem to be talking a lot more lately. They walk almost synchronized and bright smiles shine on their faces.</p><p>She looks at Jed and Kaleb who seem to be walking near each other but not really talking.</p><p>Huh. Weird.</p><p>Lastly, she looks at Landon and Hope as they laugh at each other, Hope has a bright smile as Landon makes weird gestures with his hands. He even tries jumping up high and almost trips as he lands. The leaves fall on them, and for a second Josie is reminded of a cute romcom, she’s glad that everything is okay… for now.</p><p>A small smile appears on her face, a small weight had been suddenly lifted off her shoulders.</p><p>Wait. Somethings being lifted off her shoulders.</p><p>Her head quickly looks at the person behind her who’s gently trying to take the backpack off Josie.</p><p>“Here, let me carry it for you” Rafael says with a gentle smile.</p><p>Josie gratefully gives it to him.</p><p>“So, how have you been feeling?” Raf asks as they walk on.</p><p>“Depends on what you’re asking” She says as she rolls her shoulders back and forth, sore from the weight.</p><p>“What do you mean?”</p><p>She sighs, “If you’re asking if I’m okay and there’s no dark magic in me, then yes. I’m doing okay, I don’t think I’ve been feeling something take control anymore.”</p><p>“what about how you feel?” He asks her gently.</p><p>“I feel guilty, I’m mad at myself for hurting those people. I feel as if I could’ve stopped it. I wish I stopped it.” Josie said looking down at her feet as she hugged herself, tears almost slipping through her eyes.</p><p>“I can’t say I understand fully and I’m not going to. But when I got into the car accident with my girlfriend… I blamed myself for the longest time” He takes a deep breath in, “I still blame myself; I think about the things I could’ve done to prevent it and all the things I could’ve done to save her. Trust me, you’re going to feel guilty for a while, but I promise you it gets better. Soon, you’ll realize those things couldn’t have been stopped, and it’s not all your fault” He says putting his hand on her shoulder, giving it a squeeze.</p><p>“Thank you, I think I really needed to hear that” Josie said as she fought back tears.</p><p>“Sometimes people just need to hear what needs to be heard.”</p><p>She nods as he pulls her into a side hug, and they walked like that until… well until Landon decided to get them lost.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>4 hours before the terrible</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>“What do you mean you let him lead us!?” Lizzie practically growled at Hope.</p><p>“Lizzie calm down” MG said as he grabbed her hand, giving it a squeeze.</p><p>Surprisingly… she calmed down.</p><p>“I thought he knew where the path was! I mean the path was right in front of us, I don’t know how he took us off it” Hope crossed her arms glaring at Landon.</p><p>“I’m sorry, I was too distracted by you” He says as he scratches the back of his head.</p><p>Josie shakes her head, almost laughing at Landon’s attempt to flirt.</p><p>“Dude, you got us lost! How are we supposed to get to the picnic area now?” Jed looked around exasperated.</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t know, use your wolfy senses and find your way there” Landon growls.</p><p> </p><p>“WE’RE TOO FAR AWAY FOR ME TO DO THAT!”</p><p> </p><p>“YEAH, WELL YOU AREN’T SO SPECIAL NOW, HUH?”</p><p> </p><p>“Can everybody just be quiet...” Josie said as she looked at the ground.</p><p> </p><p>“WHY ARE YOU EVEN HERE? YOU SHOULD BE LAYING IN YOUR BIRDS NEST!”</p><p> </p><p>“Please be quiet” Josie said a little louder this time.</p><p> </p><p>“OH, SHUT UP, YOU WOULDN’T BE HERE IF MR. SALTZMAN HADN’T SENT YOU!”</p><p> </p><p>“SHUT UP!” Josie yelled, everybody turning to her.</p><p> </p><p>“Damn Jo… I haven’t heard you sound like that since-”</p><p>Jed nudges him in the shoulder to make him keep quiet.</p><p>“you haven’t heard me sound like that since when?” Josie says looking at Kaleb.</p><p>“Dude, you don’t want to know, okay? We’ll just go look for-”</p><p>Josie cut Jed off, “Since <em>when?</em>”</p><p>“Since you were full of black magic…” Kaleb said quietly.</p><p>Josie nodded and silence took over the group.</p><p>Josie needed someone to say something, anything. She wanted someone to change the subject, someone to do something.</p><p> </p><p>Nobody did.</p><p> </p><p>Josie looked at her friends, Lizzie was looking at her with sad eyes, MG was glaring at Kaleb. Landon and Raf were both looking at their toes, Jed was fidgeting his fingers like it was the most important thing in the world, and Hope… Hope was looking at her with a blank face.</p><p>
  <em>Don’t let her fool you.</em>
</p><p>The words running through her head again. Who couldn’t she trust? Her sister? Caroline? Herself?</p><p>“I’m sorry… if I ever caused you any harm. I know an apology doesn’t do much because they’re just words but, I will do my best to show you I’m sorry with my actions” Josie apologized to them, putting her emotions into it. So, they’d believe her, so she could believe herself. “I’m sorry for yelling at you” she whispered the last part.</p><p>“It’s okay Jo, we already forgave you” Kaleb spoke first.</p><p>“Yeah, we know you… the real you. Who <em>she</em> was. What <em>she</em> did. It wasn’t you.” Landon spoke softly.</p><p>“You’re our friend Jo, it wouldn’t make sense if we weren’t here to help you, to keep you holding onto something that hurts you” MG grabbed her hand, pulling her into a hug. “We all forgave you a while ago.”</p><p>Then she felt another pair of arms hug her. She looked to see her twin next to her. Then Kaleb, then Landon, and even Jed joined in. It felt nice, like relief was flowing through her. Maybe she would be able to get through this.</p><p>“You guys realize we’re still stuck in the middle of nowhere with no service, right?” Hope said annoyed.</p><p>When did Hope get like this? When did she change?</p><p>Ever since Hope woke up, something has been off. Maybe it’s how she acts, or the way she walks with more pep in her steps. Maybe Josie isn’t the only one who noticed this.</p><p>“Right. Jed and Kaleb should go and find the bus. I think they would have a better chance at finding the road with their hearing” Lizzie says.</p><p>“Why not MG and Rafael?” Kaleb practically whines.</p><p>“Because I want them to stay here and be my bodyguards” Lizzie answers immediately.</p><p>“Are you saying he and I aren’t strong enough to protect you guys?” Jed growls.</p><p>“No, I’m saying I don’t want your wolfy hormones near me, and Kaleb and you seem to know each other more.”</p><p>Kaleb huffs while Jed swears under his breath.</p><p>“Whatever let’s go” Kaleb says walking off, Jed following behind him.</p><p>“You sure it’s a good idea to split up?” Josie asks, concerned.</p><p>“Of course, this way we can find our way back faster” lizzie answers proudly.</p><p>---</p><p>
  <strong>3 hours before the terrible</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>Kaleb walked behind Jed as they tried using their hearing. The sun was slowly setting, and the dark started to make the mountains look eerie.</p><p>“You would think it would be easier to hear out in the wilderness” Jed says looking around.</p><p>“yeah, but then again we’d been walking for a while until we found out that Landon took us off the path.”</p><p>“I guess you’re right” Jed goes quiet again.</p><p>They walked for a little longer in peace.</p><p>“Thank you.”</p><p>“For what?” Kaleb asked as he stopped in his tracks.</p><p>“For taking me to the hospital wing, I was pretty messed up” Jed grins.</p><p>“Yeah, well you looked pretty badass running up to that monster like that” Kaleb walks up next to Jed. “Not just badass, it was <em>hot</em>” Kaleb does his best impression of Alyssa.</p><p>Jed starts laughing, like full on laughter.</p><p>Jed’s laughter rung into Kaleb’s ears and he doesn’t think he’s heard a nicer laugh.</p><p>“But it was hot, wasn’t it?” Jed says through his chuckles.</p><p>Kaleb stood there for a moment, thinking back on it. How Jed looked running up to it, his anger and dominant side showing through.</p><p>“It was pretty h-”</p><p>A loud growl could be heard.</p><p>Jed looked behind Kaleb, his face astonished. Kaleb turned around to see a large ugly looking beast.</p><p>It was about 8’2 and had a large belly, it’s body dirty from mud and dirt. It had a nose that sloshed back and forth, and its eyes were pure black. The thing had teeth too! The teeth were yellow with green goo and it walked leaning forward.</p><p>“Go!” Kaleb pushed at Jed getting him to move from his shocked state.</p><p>“GO! GO! GO!”</p><p>---</p><p>Landon watched as everyone sat down to wait for Kaleb and Jed to get back with some good news, that is IF they find them again.</p><p>He sighed as he sat down too looking at the fading sun.</p><p>“Anyone hungry?” Lizzie asked as she placed the picnic basket in front of them.</p><p>“I am” Josie said getting up from where she was resting against a tree, “you packed a sandwich with no meat, right?”</p><p>“Yes, dear sister how could I ever forget?” Lizzie passed her a PB&amp;J.</p><p>Josie thanked her and sat down near Landon and Hope.</p><p>“Pass me one too please” MG sat down near them.</p><p>Rafael then sat down as well, asking for a sandwich.</p><p>“Are you hungry?” He turns to Hope.</p><p>“I’m fine” She says staring into thin space.</p><p>“are you sure? I can get you one if want” Landon said starting to get up.</p><p>“Landon, I’m not hungry” She said grabbing his hand with a deathly grip.</p><p>“Ouch, I’m just going to get my food” he says as he pulls back his hand.</p><p>Josie catches the scene with curious eyes, finally gulping down her food she asks, “So, how did you wake up?”</p><p>“Josie, I thought I already told you this” Lizzie sighs as she starts to eat her own sandwich.</p><p>“Yeah, but I want to hear it firsthand” she pouts.</p><p>Landon laughs, “well, I was a ghost at first. I didn’t want to give the Necromancer the power, so I was going to stay a ghost” he says this as he looks around at everyone’s face expressions, “but Rafael changed my mind.”</p><p>“That great! I’m glad he did” Josie smiles at him, he kind of missed her smiles, “What about you Hope? How’d you wake up?”</p><p>Hope looks at the floor, “Landon kissed me, and I woke up, simple as that” she finally looks up at them with a smile.</p><p>“So, it was like sleeping beauty or whatever?” Rafael asks.</p><p>“Yeah, I guess you say like that” Landon answers laughing, “she is my princess.”</p><p>Hope glares at him when he says this, “I only mean that you’re pretty and beautiful like a princess.”</p><p>“Landon, shut up your being cheesy” Lizzie rolls her eyes.</p><p>Landon does shut up. He’s already embarrassed himself enough.</p><p>Something weird catches his eyes though. Josie looks off, her face seems like she’s thinking. Her nose scrunched up in the familiar way he remembered, it usually meant she was confused.</p><p>“I’m going to get a water bottle” Josie says as she stands up and points to the backpack she left near the tree.</p><p>“Just bring the whole backpack here Josie” Lizzie says as her sister walks off.</p><p>---</p><p>Josie went to grab the backpack. He kissed her while she was unconscious, didn’t Hope say that <em>a nonconsensual kiss is never the answer</em>? Josie didn’t know why but it rubbed her the wrong way. Why did Hope smile like that? Josie couldn’t have been the only one to notice how the smile seemed fake, right?</p><p>Loud crunching could be heard in the woods near Josie, she listened closely as she watched the leaves rustle. Her heart pounding loud, her hands began to sweat.</p><p>“I think we lost it” Kaleb ran out of the trees panting.</p><p>“Yep, I think we did” Jed followed behind him.</p><p>Josie looked at them shocked, “What happened?”</p><p>Kaleb turned to her and shook his head, “You don’t want to know.”</p><p>Josie guided them to sit down with everyone else as she handed out the water bottles.</p><p>“Thanks” Jed said before he chugged the whole thing.</p><p>“What the hell happened to you guys?” Rafael asked.</p><p>“A troll happened” Kaleb replied, sweat falling down his forehead.</p><p>“A troll? I thought it was an ogre.”</p><p>Kaleb flicked Jed’s forehead whispering a subtle “shut up” before facing everyone else.</p><p>When did they get so close?</p><p>“Well now we’re stuck in the woods with a fucken troll!” Lizzie threw her hands into the air.</p><p>“I’m sure we can find a safe way out of here-” Josie started.</p><p>Lizzie jumped up and grabbed the front of Landon’s shirt, “Listen here bird boy, if you hadn’t-”</p><p>Josie grabbed Lizzie and pulled her back “It’s not his fault.”</p><p>“Like hell it isn’t” Lizzie growled before pulling herself away from Josie’s grasp and walking off.</p><p>“Lizzie! Come back, we aren’t going find our way back if we split up!” MG yelled/</p><p>“Your right MG, why don’t we all try to find the bus together! And while we’re at it why don’t we allow Landon there, lead us-”</p><p>Josie couldn’t pay attention because an ugly beast was slowly walking up behind Lizzie. How could Lizzie not realize this?</p><p>The troll growled showing it’s rotten teeth.</p><p>“RUN!”</p><p>Josie watched as the others ran as fast as they could. She was about to run and grab her sister when MG vamp speed to Lizzie and grabbed her, taking her to safety.</p><p>“Thank god” She whispered under her breath before running away herself.</p><p>The trees flew past her and the growls grew louder. Her heart pounded and her body started to ache from the running.</p><p>“Josie! Don’t look behind you, just keep running!” Rafael screamed from in front of her.</p><p>Out of curiosity Josie turned her head to see the troll running behind her.</p><p>“CRAP!” Josie tried her best to speed up but face planted to the ground.</p><p>“Josie! Josie, you gotta get up” Rafael could be heard in front of her, she tried raising herself up but then heard a growl right behind her.</p><p>“Never mind, Josie, don’t move” Rafael said as he looked at the beast behind her.</p><p>“Josie say a spell!” she heard Lizzie yell from behind the beast.</p><p>“I can’t” She whispers under her breath. She could feel the trolls breath on the back of her head.</p><p>“Josie come on!”</p><p>“I can’t!” Josie yells back.</p><p>The troll starts to crush her with his foot, and she could feel her breath leave her body.</p><p>“Shit!” Lizzie siphons from MG and mutters a spell, flinging the troll into a tree.</p><p>“Come on Josie” Rafael grabs her hand, helping her up.</p><p>MG, Lizzie, Rafael, and Josie all start running as fast as they could. Josie was still in shock from almost being crush, if only she had her powers, she could’ve prevented it. If only…</p><p>“Jo! Why didn’t you siphon from it?” Lizzie asks out of breath.</p><p>“Because Lizzie, I don’t have my powers anymore. I put it away” She lets out the truth, she really should’ve told her sister sooner.</p><p>“You what? And you didn’t tell me!?” Lizzie says exasperated.</p><p>“I know, I’m sorry” Josie says as they all stop running to listen for the troll.</p><p>“Hey, it’s okay Jo, we’re here now” MG patted her shoulder.</p><p>“I don’t mean to break up the friendly moment or anything but how are we going to kill that troll?” Rafael says hearing a growl coming from his right.</p><p>“Well, in all stories Trolls can’t be in the sunlight” MG says looking at the spot where the leaves rustled.</p><p>“Okay, so we need light” Lizzie says looking around.</p><p>“anyone have a lighter or a flashlight?” Josie asks.</p><p>They all shake their heads. Landon and Hope ran towards them, Landon panting and Hope barely breaking a sweat.</p><p>“What’s the plan?”</p><p>“We need some form of light so it will turn back to stone” Lizzie answers Hope question.</p><p>“Okay, well I have a spell for that” Hope says.</p><p>“Where’s Jed and Kaleb?” Landon looks around.</p><p>“WE’RE RIGHT HERE!” Kaleb said running and… holding Jed’s hand?</p><p>“Okay, now we need to bring it over here” Josie said as she listened for any sounds.</p><p>“I don’t think that’s necessary” Landon pointed at the troll who was running towards them.</p><p>“Okay, Hope do your spell when it gets close enough” Lizzie instructs.</p><p>The troll got closer to them, it nose sloshing from side to side.</p><p> “now?”</p><p>“not yet”</p><p>The troll is 6 feet away from them by now.</p><p>“Now?”</p><p>“NOW”</p><p>Hope cast a light spell waiting for the troll to turn to stone… but it only kept moving.</p><p>“Crap” Lizzie put her hand on the persons whose shoulder was closest, which turned out to be Landon.</p><p>“Come on, let’s go” Josie said walking back slowly.</p><p>“Hold on, I got this” Lizzie says and then mutters a spell.</p><p>Nothing happened.</p><p>“What? Wait, I did the spell correctly, right? That doesn’t-”</p><p>“Talk about it later, let’s go!” Josie grabbed her sister practically dragging her.</p><p>They ran as fast as they could, Landon behind them, tripping over his feet. The troll ran and grabbed Landon’s leg.</p><p>“HOPE” Landon screamed as he was held by his leg.</p><p>Hope watched him with an unreadable face.</p><p>“Hope do something!” Rafael yelled.</p><p>But Hope did nothing… she just stayed put.</p><p>“Damn it” Kaleb vamp speed to the troll, trying to get its attention.</p><p>“Kaleb get back here!” Lizzie couldn’t have anyone else get hurt.</p><p>Lizzie siphoned from MG, saying a spell to freeze the troll.</p><p>“I don’t know how long that’s going to last” Lizzie turned to Hope.</p><p>“yeah, I got him” Hope ran to Landon saying a spell that loosened the troll’s grip.</p><p>Landon fell, landing on his back, “ugh, thanks.”</p><p>Hope pulled him up and dragged him to where everyone else was.</p><p>“MG, what do we do? It didn’t work.”</p><p>“Yeah, clearly it didn’t work” He watched the troll start to slowly break free from the magics grasp.</p><p>“we need sunlight” Josie whispered.</p><p>“What did you say Jo?” Kaleb asked.</p><p>“We need sunlight, the light we used wasn’t the same as sunlight.”</p><p>Everybody looked at her like she’s insane.</p><p>“I guess it’s worth trying out” Lizzie said looking at the group.</p><p>Then the spell wore off and the beast was let free.</p><p>“Now Lizzie!” Josie screamed as the angered beast charged at them.</p><p>Lizzie uttered a spell that blasted a huge light, the heat from it sent everyone flying backwards. The light wasn’t a sun, or they would’ve all been burned to death, but it did its job. The troll lay in its frozen position as the light shrunk to a small glow that flew over the troll, like a cover of light.</p><p>Josie had hit her head on a tree, but the impact wasn’t too bad, a concussion at most.</p><p>“we did it” Lizzie said as she got up from the ground rubbing her butt.</p><p>“Yep, and I think I broke a rib!” Jed yelled as he got up.</p><p>“Yeah right, you look perfectly fine” Kaleb joked.</p><p>Jed only smiled at him before walking towards everyone else.</p><p>“I think it’s time we start searching for the road <em>together</em> this time” MG says as everyone gathered.</p><p>“Yeah, let’s go” Josie smiled and started to walk… until she tripped on a tree root.</p><p>
  <em>Falling, falling, falling.</em>
</p><p>“I got you” Hope said catching Josie before she fell on her face.</p><p>“Oh thanks” Josie turned to Hope.</p><p>“No problem, you should really watch where you’re going though. It’s dark out” Hope still had her hand on Josie’s stomach from where she caught her before she fell.</p><p>“yeah, I guess you’re right.”</p><p>Silence followed and Josie didn’t know what to do. It wasn’t uncomfortable, but something just wasn’t right. Hope’s eyes grew darker and maybe if Josie had her magic she would’ve known right then and there that Hope wasn’t the same person, that she was coursing with black magic.</p><p>“Hey guys. We’re going” Landon came running up to them.</p><p>“Okay” Hope said dropping her hand and walking away with Landon.</p><p>“yeah… okay” Josie for some reason felt out of breath.</p><p>The group walked in quite peace, happy and content.</p><p>
  <strong>2 hours before the terrible </strong>
</p><p>Josie never felt so happy in her life to find a road. If she could see herself, she would say she was glowing, probably from the sweat of the hike but that’s not the point.</p><p>“Longest. Exercise. Ever.” Lizzie groaned as she climbed into the bus.</p><p>“My calves hurt!” Landon said as he laid his head on Hope’s lap when everyone was in the bus.</p><p>Josie couldn’t care less, she was sore, but it was a good kind of sore.</p><p>“You know what was really weird?” Lizzie muttered.</p><p>“What?” Josie asked.</p><p>“The fact that I swear I said the spell right and it didn’t work! I mean it wasn’t like I didn’t siphon any magic because I was siphoning from-”</p><p>At this point everyone turned to look at Lizzie, “Landon” she finished sentence as her eyes widened.</p><p>“what?” his eyebrows crinkled, confused.</p><p>Lizzie got up and walked over to Landon, almost tripping because of the moving bus. Landon instantly lifted himself off of Hope’s lap.</p><p>“Give me your arm” she instructed. Landon didn’t feel like arguing so he stuck out his arm.</p><p>Lizzie placed her palm against his arm and silenced followed.</p><p>“What exactly are you doing to my boyfriend?” Hope asked, clearly frustrated.</p><p>“I’m… siphoning?” Lizzie clearly just as confused.</p><p>“He doesn’t have any magic in him” Josie let out bluntly.</p><p>“What?” Hope stared at her.</p><p>“The reason Lizzie can’t siphon is not because she’s doing anything wrong, it’s because Landon doesn’t have any magic” Josie continues.</p><p>“She’s saying I’m not a phoenix anymore” Landon played with his fingers.</p><p>Hope looked around at everyone before looking at Landon, “at least you’re alive.”</p><p>And that’s when Josie knew that something wasn’t right.</p><p>---</p><p>
  <strong>5 minutes before the terrible</strong>
</p><p>Lizzie groaned as she walked towards the kitchen, she was practically starving. Her craving for a PB&amp;J grew as she got closer.</p><p>“Hey Lizzie” someone said as they passed by her.</p><p>“Hey” she answered back.</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Got to get to the food.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Got to get to the food.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Got to get to the food.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>Once she reached the kitchen, she wished she hadn’t. There Hope and Landon were… kissing.</p><p>Lizzie quickly turned back around walking back to her room, her hunger becoming disgust.</p><p>
  <em>Nope! Not hungry anymore.</em>
</p><p>---</p><p>Landon pulled back from the kiss frowning at Hope.</p><p>“Are we going to be okay?” He asked her.</p><p>“What do you mean?” she asked him, stepping back.</p><p>“I mean, I lost the most important part of me. That means we’re not okay, right?”</p><p>“Landon, I just… I don’t want to lose you. I’ve lost enough people and I definitely don’t need to lose you too.”</p><p>“weak”</p><p>“what?”</p><p>“You think I’m weak, that’s why you can’t say we’re going to be fine.”</p><p>“No, Landon that’s not it-”</p><p>“But that just it, I can’t do this right now” Landon says as he walks away… again.</p><p>And Hope is left there to remember that all the ones she had cared for… died.</p><p>---  </p><p>
  <strong>The Terrible.</strong>
</p><p>Josie sat on her bed as her sister ran into the room.</p><p>“What’s wrong?” Josie asked concerned.</p><p>“I just saw Hope and Landon making out in the kitchen” Lizzie made a barfing noise.</p><p>“Oh” Josie let out.</p><p>“Yeah, and now I’m hungry again!”</p><p>“Do you want me to go make you something? I can go and see if they left yet” Josie watched her sister think for a little before she gave a slight nod.</p><p>“okay, I’ll be right back.”</p><p>Josie started her way to the kitchen, just realizing it was a bad idea to go to the kitchen when Lizzie just told her that Landon and Hope were there.</p><p>“oh, hey Landon” Josie said as Landon passed her down the hall, but all he gave her was a nod as he passed her.</p><p>
  <em>Weird.</em>
</p><p>Josie entered the kitchen to see Hope leaning against the counter… crying? She was about to turn around before Hope noticed her.</p><p>“What are you doing here?”</p><p>“Lizzie wanted something to eat, I didn’t realize you were here” Josie answered her.</p><p>Hope wiped her tears away, “you sure you aren’t stalking me?”</p><p>If anything, Josie thought that Hope was stalking her the whole day.</p><p>“No, I’m not that weird” Josie tried to pull a joke.</p><p>Hope just nodded before walking towards Josie.</p><p>“tell me the truth,” Hope said, Josie just nodded. “why did you ask me to kiss you?”</p><p>To be honest, Josie was only joking. She hadn’t even thought back on it until now.</p><p>“I was just messing around” Josie looked away.</p><p>“If I said you could kiss me right now… would you?” Hope stepped in Josie’s personal space.</p><p>When Josie thought about it… she didn’t know, “Hope-”</p><p>Hope stepped back with something new in her eyes, “whatever Josie, just get your food and go.”</p><p>“Hope listen to me-”</p><p>“I SAID LEAVE ME ALONE!”</p><p>A rush of magic hit Josie flinging her backwards, her head hitting the wall behind her.</p><p>“fuck, Jo. I’m sorry” Hope ran towards her, Josie’s head throbbing.</p><p>“It’s fine. I’m fine” Josie pushed herself off the floor, cradling the back of her head.</p><p>Hope tried helping her up but Josie only pushed her hands away. She quickly grabbed some chips from the cabinets. Right when she was about to leave, she heard Hope softly whisper, “I’m sorry.”</p><p>“It’s okay. Goodnight Hope” Josie said before leaving.</p><p>That night she decided she couldn’t stay at the school anymore. Hope… Hope got mad at her; Hope’s never got pissed at her before. The school looks at her like she’s an enemy and maybe she is.</p><p>
  <em>Don’t let her fool you.</em>
</p><p>Maybe her dream was telling her not to trust herself, maybe that’s why she had that dream. She can’t put anyone in danger, she can’t keep trying to act like everything is okay. That’s why she packed her bags while her sister slept peacefully, then wrote a note:</p><p>
  <em>Dear Lizzie,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I know you told me not to run away from my problems, but I had to make this decision on my own. Today only showed me that I don’t belong here anymore, I lost my magic and that’s the base of what the school runs from. Tell everyone that when I’m ready I’ll visit, and please tell dad not to send a search party for me. I’ll be fine, I just need some time. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>                                                                                                                                                                                                       I’ll miss you,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>                                                                                                                                                                                                                      JS</em>
</p><p> </p><p>That’s how Josie found herself at the front gates of the school. She turned for one last glance before walking out and into a new world of opportunity, with a backpack on her back, a coin in her pocket, and the talisman around her neck.</p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>HAHAHA ROSIEEE (bc they didn't get to say goodbye)</p><p>What did you guys think? AND YESSS JOSIE LEAVING WITH THE TALISMAN! I'll explain why she took the talisman in the next chapter. </p><p>Also I don't like writing mean Hope :(</p><p>Also let me say that Josie is going to have a new love interest in here too and I thought I'd just warn you guys, it's all for the angst though I swear!</p><p>And was that a handon break-up? hmmmm we'll seeeeee</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hey! This chapter is short but I was thinking that I can update more if I do short chapters. Sorry for not updating sooner, I've been working on... something. I'll let you all know when the time comes butttt for now I hope you enjoy (:</p><p>TW// sexual assault  <br/>It contains minor sexual assault but if you get triggered I suggest not to read.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hope groaned as she walked into the Grand Hall, she didn’t want to be there, if anything she wanted to go apologize to Josie.</p><p>Students piled in and loud murmurs could be heard.</p><p>“Did you hear?”</p><p>“Hear what?”</p><p>“That a student apparently ran away from the school.”</p><p>Hope listened to a pair of students that walked by.</p><p>Who ran away?</p><p>“Ahem, please take your seats” Alaric waited for everyone to quiet down, “as you may have heard, one of our students ran away. Sadly, it was my own daughter Josie.”</p><p>Hope watched as some of the students rolled their eyes and others seemed to relax as if the biggest threat had just been killed.</p><p>“We’ll do our best to find her and when we do, we’ll make sure she receives punishment like the rest of you.”</p><p>“What if she doesn’t want to be found?” Landon asked from where he was seated behind Hope.</p><p>
  <em>Huh, didn’t even notice he was there.</em>
</p><p>Alaric furrowed his eyebrows and sighed, “She doesn’t want to be found, but she’s my daughter and my responsibility. For now, if you see her please contact me or Lizzie.”</p><p>Alaric went on with the announcements, but Hope wasn’t paying attention to anything he was saying.</p><p>Josie had run away. She didn’t want to be found. Hope couldn’t believe it, that’s not something Josie would do… would she? Hope thought about the night before when her magic got out of control and she hurt Josie. Maybe she left because of her.</p><p>“Mikaelson, are you coming?” Lizzie had suddenly appeared beside her; everyone was walking out.</p><p>“Where exactly?”</p><p>“My dad wants us to visit the headmaster’s office” Lizzie rolled her eyes as she said this.</p><p>Hope nodded and followed behind Lizzie.</p><p>They sat in front of Mr. Saltzman as he read a piece of paper repeatedly. The silence was making Hope’s skin tingle, she didn’t like it.</p><p>“Dad, no matter how many times you read it the words will stay the same,” Lizzie finally interrupted the silence.</p><p>“I know, it just doesn’t seem like Josie” He passed the paper to Lizzie.</p><p>“But it is Josie, she was talking about taking a break anyways” Lizzie sighed.</p><p>“Can I read it?” Hope jumped in; Lizzie just handed her the note without a word.</p><p>The tribrid read the letter surprised to find out Josie didn’t have any magic. Would she be okay by herself? Hope knew Josie was strong, but life is different in a place with no magic.</p><p>“Caroline should be here tomorrow evening, she’ll discuss the best course of action before we can find your sister,” Alaric leaned in his chair as he scratched his scruffy beard.</p><p>“Moms still coming?”</p><p>“Yeah, for now though…” Alaric grabbed a stack of books from under his desk, “I need you to read these and tell me what you figure out about malivore.”</p><p>“Didn’t we already read those?” Lizzie crossed her arms.</p><p>“Never hurts to read a second time” He smiled as Lizzie took them without further argument.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>---</p><p>Lizzie groaned as she threw the book she just finished, to the other side of the room.</p><p>Hope ignored her as she turned to the next page.</p><p>Lizzie sighed again.</p><p>“What do you want Lizzie?” Hope gritted out.</p><p>“Jeez calm down, I just wanted to know what you’re going to do about the note.”</p><p>“She’s your sister Lizzie, figure it out yourself” she looked down at her book and re-read the same line again.</p><p>Lizzie stood up and moved herself in front of Hope with her arms crossed, “I don’t know what’s wrong with you Mikaelson, but I know damn well you care about my sister.”</p><p>Hope shook her head as she gave up on that page and flipped to the next one.  </p><p>Lizzie snatched the book and threw that one too. “I need to make sure my sister is okay!”</p><p>Hope almost jumped out of her seat at Lizzie’s voice.</p><p>“Okay… okay I’ll help” Hope told the blonde.</p><p>That’s how Hope found herself sneaking out of the school late at night with Lizzie trailing behind her.</p><p>
  <em>Damn it Lizzie.</em>
</p><p>---</p><p>Josie walked down the dark streets of Mystic Falls. The night before she bought a room in a motel, but she doesn’t know how much longer she’ll be able to pay for it.</p><p>She really should’ve thought this through more.</p><p>The brunette watched as cars flew by and the cold weather made her shiver.</p><p>“Hey baby girl” A low growl came from behind her.</p><p>
  <em>fuck how did she not hear the footsteps.</em>
</p><p>Josie started to walk faster, hoping she’ll make it back to the motel in time.</p><p>“Where are you going” The voice chuckled as the man grabbed onto her arm.</p><p>“Let go of me” The brunette tried to claw the hands off.</p><p>“aww don’t you want to come home with me?” The man tried to grab at her waist.</p><p>Luckily, a figure knocked him out of the way before he could do so.</p><p>“You piece of shit” The man growled at the girl who just saved Josie.</p><p>“What do you think you're doing?” The girl hissed at the man.</p><p>The man charged at the girl and she side stepped him grabbing one of his arms and pulling it into his back.</p><p>“I said” She growled out, “What. Do. You. Think. You’re. Doing?”</p><p>“Nothing” The man whimpered, “Let me go!”</p><p>“Not until I hear you say that you’re going to stay away from her.”</p><p>“I- ugh I-I’ll stay away, I swear” He said in pain as the girl’s grip tightened.</p><p>“Good.” She pushed him onto the floor as Josie watched him scramble to get up and run for it.</p><p>“Thanks” Josie finally turned to the other girl taking her in.</p><p>Her curly hair and tan skin were the first thing Josie noticed before realizing that it was-</p><p>“Maya?” Ethan ran up to his sister, “Why the hell did you run out of the diner like that? Oh hey… Josie was it?”</p><p>The brunette nodded.</p><p>“I saw Saltzman here walking alone and a creepy ass man following her” Maya crossed her arms, her face showing disgust.</p><p>“Oh.”</p><p>“Thanks again, but I should really get going” Josie said and started to turn around before she felt a hand on her arm.</p><p>“My mom got a call from your dad about you running away” Maya let her arm go when Josie turned back around.</p><p>“What if I did?”</p><p>“Then it’s only right we take you back to my mom”</p><p>“But- I can’t go back.” Josie tried to argue.</p><p>“Why not?” Ethan curled his eyebrows in confusion.</p><p>“I- I just can’t.” Josie sighed.</p><p>“Where are you sleeping anyways?” Maya looked past her like she was going to find a sleeping bag somewhere.</p><p>“I sleep at a motel” Josie deadpanned.</p><p>“Well, how about I make you a deal.” Ethan came forward.</p><p>Josie nodded for him to continue.</p><p>“What if I take you to my mom and we can let your father know where you are. Maybe I can convince my mom to let you stay with us” He smiled brightly.</p><p>Josie thought about this and nodded as she came to a conclusion.</p><p>“Okay”</p><p>“Okay?” Maya asked surprised.</p><p>“Okay.”</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hey I hope you guys liked it! <br/>And Maya and Ethan are back yay!!!!! </p><p>Tell me how you want the chapters, longer and more likely to be a few weeks before each chapter is released or short chapters where I can hopefully update you more (:</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Surprisingly had a lot of time to write this past week! The story is going to pick up its pace next chapter so stay tuned for that :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The walk to the Machado’s house was quiet. Nobody said a thing, they just let the wind fill the silence.</p><p>They had just gotten back from getting Josie’s stuff from the motel and called their mother to let them know they have Josie.</p><p>“So, why’d you run away?” Maya finally broke the silence.</p><p>Josie lowered her head; she didn’t really know how to answer it without telling the truth.</p><p>“I got into an argument with… a friend” Josie wasn’t necessarily lying.</p><p>Maya nodded, “your dad is worried about you, and knowing your sister, she’s probably going insane.”</p><p>The brunette gave Maya a cold stare, “She’s not insane.”</p><p>Ethan suddenly stopped in his tracks and turned around, “She’s not, I’m sorry for my sister-”</p><p>“No Ethan, don’t apologize for something that’s true.”</p><p>Josie walked closer to Maya, her anger building. Her crave for magic flowing through her veins. Like a small fire sparked in her lower stomach and grew larger with every step until she was in Maya’s face.</p><p>“Don’t talk about my sister like that, you don’t even know her” Josie bit out.</p><p>“I know her enough.” Maya stood her ground.</p><p>Josie fisted her hands, she never got angry. She wasn’t supposed to get angry. But her crave for magic grew. Not just any magic though, specifically dark magic.</p><p>“Come on, our house is right around the corner. Stop making drama.” Ethan pulled his sister back and pushed her in front of him, “Start walking ahead of us. Now.”</p><p>Josie watched as Maya huffed and walked away.</p><p>“I’m sorry about her… she’s just been angry ever since she and her girlfriend broke up” Ethan sighed, then his eyes opened and he started to ramble, “of course that doesn’t give her an excuse-”</p><p>“I get it” Josie gave him a small smile.</p><p>“We should probably catch up” Ethan gestured for her to start walking.</p><p>When they got to the house it seemed like Maya had already entered, the door was left wide open.</p><p>The brunette took a cautious step in, the house was nice and neat. On the walls hung pictures of Maya in cheer and Ethan in his football games.</p><p>“Josette Saltzman!” A familiar voice could be heard.</p><p>
  <em>Crap. She’s pissed.</em>
</p><p>The brunette turned to see her sister full of anger and Hope behind her giving her a cold stare.</p><p>“Hey Lizzie” Josie gave a shy wave.</p><p>“Don’t Lizzie me! Why the hell would you run away? I thought we had a deal” The blonde stomped forward.</p><p>“We did… it just didn’t work out” Josie tried to calm the other down.</p><p>“What do you mean it didn’t work out? Mom’s still coming tomorrow, and dad called me to tell me that the Machado’s found you wondering the streets” Lizzie crossed her arms, Josie stole a quick glance at the tribrid.</p><p>Hope looked just as frustrated as Lizzie… she wasn’t supposed to make them mad.</p><p>“I just needed to be alone for a little okay?” Josie shook her head as she looked at her feet.</p><p>“Your Dad’s on his way” The sheriff walked in as she clicked off a phone call who Josie presumed was her dad.</p><p>“Okay.”</p><p>Everyone stared at one another, waiting for someone to make the next move.</p><p>“Hey, I forgot to tell you that-” Maya trailed off when she climbed down the stairs, “oh the sister and the girlfriend are here.”</p><p>Josie instantly felt a burning in her cheeks, she glanced at Hope who seemed to sputter.</p><p>“We’re not-”</p><p>“She’s not my-”</p><p>Hope and Josie both tried to speak at the same time.</p><p>“That doesn’t matter, my dad’s coming to pick Josie up soon” Lizzie interrupted them.</p><p>Maya nodded as she sat down on a nearby couch.</p><p>“Why’d you leave?” Hope said as she reached Josie’s side.</p><p>“Like I said… I needed a break” the brunette looked away from Hope’s curious eyes.</p><p>“You’re lying.”</p><p>“I’m not.”</p><p>“Yes. You are” Hope persisted.</p><p>“I said I’m not Hope, just leave it alone okay?” Josie took a stepped back as she watched Hope’s face expression turn to a sad puppy.</p><p>“Whatever.” Hope walked to go sit down on the opposite couch from Maya.</p><p>A knock was heard through the silence of the group, “that must your dad” Sherrif Mac said.</p><p>When her dad entered, he seemed happy and glad to see Josie. He ran to circle his arms around her.</p><p>“I’m so glad you’re okay” He murmured into her hair, his scruffy beard itching her forehead.</p><p>“I’m sorry” She murmured back.</p><p>He released her and looked at her, his expression becoming stern, “never do that again, you understand?”</p><p>Josie nodded.</p><p>“Good, let’s get you home” He said, Hope and Lizzie standing up from where they were sitting on the couch.</p><p>“Wait…” Josie pulled on his arm.</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“I… I want to go to school at Mystic Falls High” Josie looked at her toes.</p><p>Everyone went quiet once again.</p><p>“I think… I think that would be a good idea” Alaric said with a small smile, “I can enroll you. I’m sure they’ll let you in by next week.”</p><p>Josie never felt so glad, she was sure her smile met her eyes.</p><p>“Maya can give her an orientation tomorrow” the sheriff spoke up.</p><p>“Wait, why me? Why not Ethan?” Maya looked up from her phone.</p><p>“Ethan has practice tomorrow, last time I heard you were free.”</p><p>Maya groaned at that, “Okay, see you tomorrow Saltzman. Be there at 1, don’t be late.”</p><p>Josie smiled even more, “thanks again Maya, I appreciate it.”</p><p>Maya gave her a small smile and nod, “anytime.”</p><p>When the brunette entered the car, she felt some tension still in the air. She sat in the middle of Lizzie and Hope, for some reason her dad made her sit with them.</p><p>“Lizzie. Hope. Josie. I’m sorry but I did tell the other students that you’d be punished for leaving” Alaric sighed when he started the car.</p><p>Josie glanced at her twin with a raised eyebrow.</p><p>“Don’t look at me like that, you’re the one who ran away first. If anything, I just ran after you.”</p><p>Josie just rolled her eyes at her sister.</p><p>“What’s the punishment Mr. Saltzman?” Hope asked.</p><p>Alaric furrowed his eyebrows, “I’ll discuss it with Caroline.”</p><p>---</p><p>Josie sat in her room alone the next morning. She had just finished getting ready for the orientation and she should be leaving in few minutes.</p><p>A knock on the win’s door made her turn around, “who is it?”</p><p>Hope entered the room.</p><p>“Hey Jo, I just wanted to talk…”</p><p>The brunette nodded and went to sit on her bed. Hope looked uncomfortable, she looked like she didn’t know what to do with herself. So, Josie pats the spot next to her.</p><p>Hope slowly sat down and played with her fingers.</p><p>“What did you want to talk about?” Josie asks as she stared at the side of Hope’s head. Man, why won’t she show her pretty blue eyes?</p><p>“So, you’re really changing schools?” Hope said quietly.</p><p>“Yeah, that’s the plan. Maya is going to give me the orientation tour and if I like-”</p><p>“Me and Landon broke up.” Hope blurted out.</p><p>“What?” Josie watched Hope as she stopped playing with her hands.</p><p>“I broke up with Landon… I think. I just couldn’t do it anymore; I don’t know what has gotten into me but I just couldn’t be with him” </p><p>Josie watched as Hope stared into blank space.</p><p>“I’m so sorry Josie, I shouldn’t have hurt you the way I did” Hope turned to her.</p><p>“You didn’t hurt me; it wasn’t your fault. You didn’t make me run away, okay?” Josie pulled Hope into a hug.</p><p>“No, that’s not what I meant" Hope pulled herself out of Josie's grasp.</p><p>Josie looked at her confused.</p><p>"What do you mean?" the brunette didn't know what Hope was talking about. </p><p>"You know what? Never mind" something about Hope's face changed, a small spark ignited in her eyes. Then Hope was gone, gone from Josie's room that is.</p><p>---</p><p>Josie made it to the orientation 20 minutes late. Something was off, she could feel it. Something in the pit of her stomach was telling her to go back, to figure out the problem. Maybe she should just-</p><p>“You’re late” Maya said as Josie entered the school.</p><p>“Sorry, I just got into the middle of… traffic?”</p><p>Maya just rolled her eyes with a small smile touching her lips.</p><p>“Well come on Saltzman, I need to give you a tour.”</p><p>Josie had a feeling that things were going to change from here. Something inside her was telling her that something has changed.</p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I hope you liked it!<br/>Also if you haven't you should check out my football x song au ;)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Here is the update! I hope you guys like this chapter :)<br/>Also, before you read this please go back to chapter 4 and check some changes I made at the end. I hope I didn't ruin anything, I changed it because I felt like it was right for where I was taking the story.</p><p>Anyways, enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“So, this is the cafeteria, the food here actually isn’t that bad-”</p><p>Josie wasn’t really paying attention to what Maya was saying. She was too busy looking at all the other people there. It was a different feeling, that was the first thing Josie noticed.</p><p>It was weird seeing people her age not have to worry about the world ending, or that there’s monsters and the only thing protecting them is another group of teens.</p><p>“So is Marshall your girlfriend?”</p><p>Josie snapped out of her thoughts.</p><p>“Who?"</p><p>“Are you dating Hope?” Maya waited for Josie to answer.</p><p>“Oh, no. No. We’re just friends” Josie said quickly.</p><p>“Oh, cool.” Maya gave a small smile.</p><p>Wait, when did Maya get kind of cute? The siphoner witch tried her best to secretly check the other girl out when Maya went back to talking about the cafeteria and all the different types of kids.</p><p>“Are you seriously checking me out Saltzman?” Maya turned towards her with her arms crossed.</p><p>“What? No, I was…. um nice shoes?” Josie blurted out, her cheeks taking a nice shade of red.</p><p>Maya smirked, “Thanks, you don’t look too bad yourself.”</p><p>The brunette smiled at that.</p><p>“Josie.”</p><p>“What?” Maya asked confused.</p><p>“My name is Josie, I assumed you weren’t calling me by my name because you didn’t know it” Josie went on.</p><p>“I-I knew it I just-”</p><p>“You just what?” Josie lifted her eyebrow.</p><p>“I just didn’t know if you’d want me to call you by your name” Maya looked away trying to hide the blush that lined across her cheeks.</p><p>Josie knew this though, so she went on, “If I go to school here, would you let me sit at your table?”</p><p>Maya looked back at the other girl with curious eyes and then smirked, “Is that a metaphor or sumthin?”</p><p>“I don’t know is it?” Josie stepped closer.</p><p>Maya waggled her eyebrows, “Guess you’d have to go here to figure it out.”</p><p>Josie just laughed. The interaction felt oddly nice to Josie, she missed feeling this way. Jade had left to go to a medical school and Josie had to accept that. She missed the other girl, but she also knew that it was better this way than trying to do a distant relationship.</p><p>“Well, that’s the end of your tour” Maya said once they walked out to the front of the school.</p><p>“Thank you for showing me around” Josie fidgeted with shirt as she said this.</p><p>“No problem, I’ll see you around… Josie” Maya said the other girls name as if it was an afterthought.</p><p>The brunette watched as Maya walked into the school.</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>“So how was your date with Maya Machado?” Lizzie asked when Josie stepped into the room.</p><p>“My date? She was giving me a tour Lizzie” Josie rolled her eyes while taking off her shoes.</p><p>“Mhmm if you say so” Lizzie kept writing her essay.</p><p>Josie fell onto her bed and sighed.</p><p>“So, are you going to go?” the blonde finally said after moments of silence.</p><p>The brunette glanced at her sister who seemed to be too busy with her paper…. which was odd because Lizzie doesn’t really do homework.</p><p>“Lizzie, I think this will actually be good for me and I hope you can be okay with that” Josie sat up in her bed.</p><p>Lizzie looked at her sister and smiled, “I’ll try, but you can’t go to school wearing a uniform y’know?”</p><p>Josie rolled her eyes and threw a pillow at her twin.</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>The necromancer stood near the pit, stomping his feet angrily.</p><p>“This is stupid, if I could just make you rise then everything would be so much easier!” He bellowed.</p><p>“You’re right, things would be easier… with a witch”</p><p>The necromancer turned around to see Alyssa Chang.</p><p>“Oh, and why are you here little miss witch?”</p><p>“Because I want something you can give me” Alyssa smirked as sat down on a stone bench.</p><p>The necromancer scowled, “and what is that?”</p><p>“I want to make the Salvatore School suffer.” The witch crossed her legs and waited for the necromancer to think about it.</p><p>“ah I see, you want to help me, do you?” He stepped closer to Alyssa.</p><p>“Yes, I want Josie Saltzman to suffer for what she’s done” a spark ignited in Alyssa’s eyes.</p><p>The necromancer chuckled before full on laughing.</p><p>“Alright little witch, you have yourself a deal.”</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>Hope’s anger grew when Landon walked through the gym doors. He wore his crooked smile as he entered.</p><p>Her hands started to shake as she felt the rage pull in her stomach. Landon glanced at her from across the gym, his smile falling off his face.</p><p>
  <em>Do it. Let him hurt the way he hurt you.</em>
</p><p>A small voice in the back of her head chanted.</p><p>Something inside of her pulled up her arm that held the heavy dodgeball.</p><p>
  <em>Don’t you want to see him in pain?</em>
</p><p>Before her body threw the ball at the boy, she aimed her direction at Jed.</p><p>The ball soared as it hit Jed in the gut, the poor boy flinging back into the wall.</p><p>
  <em>Ur weak.</em>
</p><p>And that was all the voice said.</p><p>Hope walked out of the gym trying to pass Landon but of course the boy had other plans, “Hope, can we please talk?”</p><p>The tribrid turned around her jaw clenching, “No Landon, you don’t get to talk to me.”</p><p>Hope tried walked as fast as she could to her room with Landon following behind her.</p><p>“Hope please slow down!”</p><p>The anger once again was building up in her abdomen.</p><p>Students walking by stopped to watch the interactions, two of them being the twins.</p><p>“Landon, leave me alone I can’t do this right now” Hope growled out.</p><p>Josie watched in utter silence as Landon kept persisting.</p><p>“Hope we need to talk about what you just did back there!” Landon raised his voice when Hope tried to run away.</p><p>“Landon, I don’t think it’s a good idea-” Josie tried to warn Landon but of course he doesn’t listen.</p><p>“Why are you always walking away from your problems!?”</p><p>That made the tribrid stop in her tracks. The audacity this guy has-</p><p>“Oh, so we’re just going to forget every time you walked away from me!” Hope turned around with a darkness on eyes, if anyone saw it, they didn’t say anything.</p><p>“Because you always need to protect me, and you don’t let me do anything that I think is good for myself” Landon pleaded with her.</p><p>“We’re done Landon, just leave me alone” Hope turned to leave again.</p><p>“Don’t do this Hope! You walk away and you lose the chance of ever fixing this relationship!”</p><p>Josie and Lizzie glanced at each other, the students whispering to each other. The tension in the room could be cut with a knife.</p><p>“This relationship can’t be fixed” Hope walked away from Landon without glancing back.</p><p>“HOPE!” Landon yelled as he ran and grabbed her arm, “I told you I’m going to be the guy that will always find you-”</p><p>Before Josie’s eyes Landon flew in a wall, his head hitting it first before sliding down and slumping to the floor.</p><p>The students gasped in surprise.</p><p>Josie looked at Hope, her eyes pure golden and her hands out on her sides from casting the spell.</p><p>The auburn blinked out of her daze and looked at what happened.</p><p>Landon.</p><p>Landon was on the floor knocked out, most likely with a concussion.</p><p>And the only thing Hope could do was run out of the school and into the woods.</p><p>Josie watched as Hope ran out of the school.</p><p> </p><p>That’s when she knew, there was something very wrong with Hope Mikaelson.</p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thanks for leaving comments guys, it really makes me write more :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Sorry for a late update but here you guys go!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The brunette watched the nurse take Landon to the infirmary and her father talking to Jed about what happened.</p><p>“What happened?” Kaleb asked from behind her.</p><p>Lizzie practically jumped out of her own skin, “don’t do that Kaleb, you could of gave me a heart attack!”</p><p>Kaleb just shook his head and then looked back at Josie for the answer.</p><p>“Um, apparently Hope had gotten a little aggressive and through the dodgeball a little too hard” the boy kept staring at her knowing she was keeping something else away from him, “and Hope had thrown Landon into the wall because he wouldn’t leave her alone.”</p><p>He nodded, “I knew Hope got mad easily, but I don’t think she’s ever been this mad.”</p><p>The blonde twin huffed, “Hope is our friend Jo, we should be there for her.”</p><p>Josie looked at her twin in surprise, she didn’t realize that Hope and Lizzie had been bonding more.</p><p>“Yeah, you’re right.”</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>It’s been a week since the incident and Josie still hasn’t been able to find an answer for anything that has been happening. She was starting school the next day but all she could do was stay up reading books in the library about werewolves and their aggression. It seemed normal but Hope wasn’t usually like that and Josie couldn’t explain it, but something was off, she could just feel it.</p><p>The brunette didn’t care if it took up her whole night or if she woke up in the morning with a headache from the lack of sleep, she needed to figure it out. It reminded her of the nights she would stay up figuring out who Hope was, especially since she felt something off then. When all of her memories of Hope were gone, she could tell Hope was lying, maybe that’s why she was listening to her instincts now.</p><p>Josie grabbed a book about witches and opened it to a random page.</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Witches may also use black magic, yet this can cause them to act different and even cause them to have symptoms such as-</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Josie’s eyes began to droop, and her body slowly became limp as she fell asleep.</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Josie walked through a narrow hall; the shadows seemed to move on their own. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Where do you think you’re going?” A sly voice came from the dark room across from her. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Who are you?” Josie choked out, her hands becoming clammy.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“You should know me” The voice changed into a woman’s voice; a voice Josie knew all too well.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Mom?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Josette walked out from the shadows, smiling at her daughter, “yes, it’s me.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“n-no it can’t be. I siphoned from you, you’re dead” Josie stuttered out. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Things change sweetie, I’m surely alive all you have to do to help me is-”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“NO!” a voice yelled.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Josette grimaced at the voice, “guess it’s not going to work now.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Josie watched as her bio mom soon turned to a familiar figure, Hope Mikaelson. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Hope?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Not quite” Hope… not Hope, chuckled. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Suddenly the brunette felt something grip her shoulder, she squirmed about to fight whatever it was holding her captive. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Josie it’s okay, it’s me Hope” the brunette turned to look at the auburn holding her shoulder.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Her auburn hair matched the red suit she was wearing, an axe in her hand. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Hope, is that really you?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Yes Jo, now stay behind me okay. You can’t trust her.” Hope stepped in front of Josie.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“It’s funny you think you can stop me and save your little friend” the other Hope cackled. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“shut up.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“But you don’t want me to, that’s why you’re letting me out into-”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Josie watched as Hope threw the axe at the darker version of Hope, the other auburn vanishing before it could hit her. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Fuck.” Hope sneered, “Josie you have to get out of here, there’s too many monsters roaming around here. I don’t even know how you got here but you need to go-”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Where even am I Hope?” Josie was confused as she started to hear loud growls and scratching. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“That’s not important, just get out of here and don’t trust what you see!” Hope pushes Josie backwards until she’s falling. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>She’s falling again, but this time it’s like the floor is not there and she can see what’s above her. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Hope turns quickly to see a gruesome monster with sharp teeth, it’s claws long and sharp. More beasts began to appear and Hope seemed trap.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Josie scream for Hope to notice the beasts that are behind her, but she feels like she’s under water and she can’t be heard. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Hope cast a spell pulling the axe towards her again and started fighting for her life. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Josie once again tried calling out to her, but she began to choke, oxygen leaving her body.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“HOPE!”</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Josie woke up in a sweat, the feeling familiar from the last time.</p><p>Sun shined through the windows signaling it was morning.</p><p>The brunette sighed as she shut the book and put it back, walking away and towards her bedroom.</p><p>The book sat there; the inanimate object silent.</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>“Josie, what the hell happened to you? You look like you’re hungover”, Maya walked up beside her.</p><p>Josie groaned, “is it really that bad?”</p><p>The Machado twin nodded with a slight smile on her face.</p><p>Ethan ran up beside them and took one look at Josie and asked, “what party did I miss?”</p><p>Maya started to laugh loudly while Ethan gave her a confused stare.</p><p>“Saltzman here just looks like that in the morning” Maya tried to say as she catches her breath, it didn’t work because she started laughing again.</p><p>Josie had a slight smile on her face before shoving Maya into a locker with her shoulder, “shut up Machado.”</p><p>Maya glared at her as Josie walked away with a proud smile on her face, Ethan laughing at his sister’s dismay.</p><p>“You’re going to pay for that!”</p><p>“Whatever you say Maya!” Josie called back.</p><p>The rest of the day went well, Josie was able to find most of her classes easily.</p><p>For some odd reason it was like Josie was able to breathe again. Nobody hated her here, and it wasn’t like she was outcast.</p><p>Josie sat down in her math class grabbing her notebook and pencil.</p><p>“hey Josie” Ethan said when he sat next to her.</p><p>“We have the same class, nice” Josie smiled at him.</p><p>“Yeah, Maya wasn’t too happy about that though” He frowned.</p><p>The brunette stopped what she was doing and looked at the boy.</p><p>“Why is that?”</p><p>Ethan just shook his head, “my sister thinks that I like you.”</p><p>Josie furrowed her eyebrows, “do you?”</p><p>“what? No. No not at all, don’t get me wrong you’re beautiful but you’re not my type” Ethan said quickly.</p><p>Josie smiled at him.</p><p>He laughed a little before starting write down the homework assignment for that night.</p><p>It was silent for a little when the teacher started to give instructions, the teacher told them to write notes as he went through the slides.</p><p>Ethan kicked her shoe, making the brunette look at him with a curious gaze.</p><p>“Just so you know, I think my sister is into you” he whispered, “that’s why she didn’t want me in the same class as you, she’s jealous.”</p><p>The brunette’s eyes widened.</p><p>“oh.”, was all she could say.</p><p>“I would talk to her if I were you” Ethan gave her a small smile.</p><p>“Mr. Machado, would you like to tell everyone what you think is so important that you had to talk during this class.”</p><p>Ethan gulped and shook his head.</p><p>“Are you sure? I think everyone would like to hear it.”</p><p>“If you insist sir, I was talking about my stomach issues from the food here… if you get what I mean.”</p><p>Josie watched as the teacher’s face grew disgusted, “keep that to yourself.”</p><p>The brunette laughed behind her hand once the teacher began the lesson again.</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>“Hey Maya, wait up” Josie called after the twin.</p><p>Maya stopped in her tracks; she was on her way to football practice.</p><p>“yes Josie?”</p><p>The brunette finally caught up to her, “your brother told me something today and I was wondering if it was true.”</p><p>“Okay?” Maya rose an eyebrow not really knowing where this was going.</p><p>“Um… so he said that you might… like me? I don’t really know, but if you do then that’s cool and we could totally hang out or something” Josie stared at her feet as she rambled on.</p><p>“Josie.”</p><p>“Yeah?”</p><p>“Josie Saltzman, would you like to go on a date with me?” Maya smiled at Josie’s reaction.</p><p>The brunette’s face lit up immediately, “yeah I would like that.”</p><p>“Great, I’ll text you the details.”</p><p>Maya started to walk away.</p><p>Josie smiled but then it hit her, “wait! I don’t have a phone!”</p><p> </p><p>The necromancer walked around the pit.</p><p>“So, are you going to do the spell or not?” He growled at the witch.</p><p>“Calm down Ted” Alyssa smiled as she used his name.</p><p>The necromancer grimaced, “Never say my name! It’s the necromancer!”</p><p>“Whatever zombo” the witch grabbed the vampire they had kidnapped from the Salvatore School.</p><p>“They didn’t see you take him?”</p><p>Alyssa shook her head, “nope, they were all too busy to notice I guess.”</p><p>The necromancer laughed.</p><p>The wind started to pick up as she casted the spell.</p><p>“There, now witch monster would you like to rise first?”</p><p>The necromancer’s eyes glimmered brightly, “oh I have a few ideas.”</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>Josie smiled as she walked down the hall of the Salvatore School. Maya and Josie had planned a date on Wednesday.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“so, where are you going to take me?” Josie had asked. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“That’s a secret”, Maya winked at her before walking off.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>The brunette laughed to herself before someone knocked into her.</p><p>“ouch, hey watch where you’re going- Hope?”</p><p>The auburn turned to her, “where have you been?”</p><p>Josie didn’t like the sound of Hope’s stern voice, “school.”</p><p>Hope laughed darkly, “with the Machado’s I presume?”</p><p>“yes.”</p><p>Hope shook her head, “you’re unbelievable, you’re always running away from your problems.”</p><p>Josie felt a sharp pain in her chest. Why was Hope acting like this?</p><p>“Hope, are you okay?” Josie reached out to touch Hope’s hand.</p><p>Hope quickly moved out of her reach, “I’m perfectly fine.”</p><p>“If there’s something wrong, I want to help.”</p><p>“There’s nothing wrong Josie! Leave me alone” Hope pushed at her shoulders.</p><p>“Let me help you! You’ve been out of it for the past few weeks-”</p><p>A pair of lips crashed into the brunettes. Josie’s eyes widened in shock.</p><p>Hope’s lips were on hers.</p><p>
  <em>Holy shit.</em>
</p><p>The auburn’s lips kept moving, almost as if they needed to feel Josie kiss back.</p><p>So that’s what Josie did. She kissed back.</p><p>The kiss wasn’t gentle at all, it was rough. If someone had asked Josie what she thought it would be like to kiss Hope Mikaelson, this would <em>not </em>be how she would explain it.</p><p>Hope’s lips were soft but bruising.</p><p>“Hope-” Josie tried to speak.</p><p>
  <em>This was wrong. Hope is mad, she doesn’t know what she’s doing.</em>
</p><p>“Shut up.” Hope hissed between kisses.</p><p>The brunette felt a tongue wipe against her bottom lip. It was all going too fast, and Josie didn’t even realize she was backed against a wall.</p><p>A sharp pain ignited in her lip, “ouch, fuck Hope”, Josie shoved Hope off her.</p><p>Hope had bit her lip, a metallic taste filled her mouth when she ran her tongue over the wound.</p><p>The auburn lost the hungry gaze in her eyes instantly. Her face turning into pure shock.</p><p>“Josie I-”</p><p>“No, you can’t do that Hope. You can’t just kiss me! This is wrong, I have date with Maya, and this is so wrong”, Josie muttering the last part mostly to herself.</p><p>“What?” Hope still heard it anyways.</p><p>“I have to go Hope” the brunette walked away quickly, shame feeling her gut.</p><p>Hope just watched with a shocked expression; if her fingers went to her lips, nobody was there to see it.</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>Josie finally made it to her dorm and opening the door.</p><p>“Lizzie, we need to talk-” Josie’s voice trailed off when she saw a familiar blonde sitting next to her twin.</p><p>“Hey Josie, how was school?” The blonde woman said with a smile.</p><p> </p><p>“Mom?”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I bet you all forgot about Caroline hehehe</p><p>Also how we feel about that angsty kiss? I don't know much about writing kisses and angst so uh yeah let me know.</p><p>And the Necromancer and Alyssa play a big role just so you guys know :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Sorry for the long wait! I started going to school in-person so that was interesting. My exams are coming up so I'll probably update every now and then but I promise when that's all done and over with you'll see more updates!</p><p>I would just like to say this is more of a filler chapter.</p><p>Also shoutout to my best friend who puts up with my simping, and also edited my awful grammar! Yes she is my editor now. No more grammar mistakes! *everyone cheers*</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Hope hadn’t seen Landon since their argument. Jed had told her Landon was fine and that he understands why she was mad. She didn’t understand how or why she did what she did; to be honest, time passes by quickly. Almost as if she is in daze. Some things she just can’t remember, and it feels as if something is building up inside of her. She really should tell someone, but she doesn’t want to cause any more trouble than she already has.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That’s what she tells herself every time she remembers coming out of her daze and realizing she was kissing Josie Saltzman. The brunette seemed angry, and Hope didn’t know why. When Josie stalked off, Hope couldn’t help but feel a tear slide down her face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hope felt the need to distract herself, maybe that’s why she finds herself in front of Landon’s room, knocking.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey… Hope?” Landon opened the door, looking at her curiously.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I need to apologize…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Landon nodded, “Yeah, sure come in.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Where’s Rafael?” Hope asked seeing that the other brother was gone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He’s hanging out with the pack” said the curly haired boy as he sat down on his bed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The tribrid felt extremely awkward, she should have planned this better.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Look Landon, I’m sorry for being such an ass. I’ve been in a bad mood recently and… I don’t know. I guess some things pissed me off.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Landon watched her pace around the room as she tried to explain herself. Luckily, he saved her from her rambling.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He stood up and took her hands, “It’s okay, I forgive you. I’m sorry for not believing your love for me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hope smiled and leaned into the boy, their lips meeting in the middle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She pulled back, resting their heads together, “I love you Landon Kirby.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I love you too, Hope Mikaelson.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alyssa Chang grinned at the first monster she pulled out of the Malivore pit.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Necromancer hadn’t yet figured out her plan. She was going to bring back the monsters using his magic and when she didn’t need him anymore, she would kill him. He thinks he’s controlling the monsters, but she is.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>If everything goes according to plan, she’ll be able to take back her revenge and kill what Josie Saltzman adores; what she is too afraid of to admit, that she loves-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah, this is going to be fun!” the Necromancer smiled with his yellow teeth showing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t think they are quite ready for this monster… do you?” Alyssa watched as the monster wiggled and shrieked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They won’t know what hit them.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>-</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>A man with a long beard and dark brown eyes sighed as he walked his dog down the street. It was his usual routine, the sun rising slowly over the hill.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s a beautiful morning, isn’t it Oscar?” The old man asked his dog.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The dog barked happily, wagging his tail.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Not many people were around this early in the morning. Especially on this route.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was his daily routine to walk his dog to the cemetery; where he went to visit his wife who died five years prior, due to cancer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So, no. There were not many people on this route this early in the morning.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>If the man had been paying attention, he probably would’ve noticed the low growl coming from the cemetery, but unfortunately he didn’t; so he entered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey Karey, look I brought Oscar, he’s as healthy as always” The man smiled at the gravestone as he petted his dog, “you should have seen the neighborhood yesterday, there was a ton of graffiti because of some dumb teens. You never liked the way the next generation was turning out, did you hun?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Silence followed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That didn’t matter to him though, he kept on talking. Explaining how the day had gone and how he had bought their favorite girl scout cookies. He talked as if she were there, as if she wasn’t dead.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So yeah, that was my day yesterday” He smiled brightly, “I should be heading out now, I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The man placed his hand on the gravestone for a little before letting go and walking towards the path out of the graveyard.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>For some reason, Oscar did not want to follow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Soon the man realized why; Oscar was staring at a dog-like figure on the other side of the cemetery.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No Oscar, we’re going home” the man tugged on the leash, but it didn’t work.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The man watched as the dog ran behind the trees, Oscar of course wanting to chase it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The old man let go, fearing he would fall if he kept hold of the leash.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“OSCAR!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His dog ran after the other animal. He cursed under his breath.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The man walked to where he had seen his dog run. The area was deserted, all the graves seemed to be neglected and the rising sun barely passed through the trees.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He whistled, “Oscar!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The dog did not come.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oscar?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A small whimper could be heard behind the tree in front of him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He gulped, slowly walking around to see a horrifying beast.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Oscar was fine; he ran away quickly, scurrying outside of the cemetery.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The beast growled before launching itself at the man.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>-</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Hope looked at the remains of what seemed to be a human body.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What happened to them?” she asked Dr. Saltzman.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The headmaster shook his head, “Well, the police are saying they were attacked by an animal.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do </span>
  <em>
    <span>we </span>
  </em>
  <span>think happened to them?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s what we’re trying to figure out.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A gagged sound could be heard behind them.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Oh right, Landon was here.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“You alright?” Hope turned to her boyfriend, he had a hand over his mouth, his face turning awfully green.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“N-not really.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dr. Saltzman pulled out his phone and snapped a few pictures before walking away from the body.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So..?” Matt Donovan pulled them aside before they could go.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know, Matt. I need to look into it a little more.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The mayor nodded his head, “Just let me know what monster we have on our hands.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Will do.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When they made it back to the school, Dr. Saltzman called a group meeting. This meant she would have to see Josie, right?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was correct, but was also surprised to see a new guest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Caroline.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everyone stood around the headmaster’s desk. Landon had a protective arm around Hope’s waist, holding her close. If it was supposed to be comforting… it wasn’t.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The tribrid did her best not to glance at the brunette next to her.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Was it just her or did the room feel smaller?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“I called Dorian and he gave me a few monsters to look into” Alaric said as he took out a sheet of paper filled with words.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“More like a couple hundred” Hope heard Lizzie mutter.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lizzie be nice. Let’s help your dad, okay?” Caroline said; she was in between the twins.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lizzie sighed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m going to split you guys into pairs, we’ll be able to get things done easier.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Exactly what are we doing Dr. Saltzman?” Kaleb spoke up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I was just about to get to that Kaleb. You guys will go to the library and research there.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The super squad sighed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I hate reading.” Jed groaned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Great! Do you mind if I pick the pairs?” Caroline clapped her hands together.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alaric shook his head, “by all means, go ahead.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The blonde woman stepped forward and looked at all the teens, as if she could see their very soul.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It made Hope feel exposed, like her deepest fears were being seen. She almost ran out of the room, but then the blonde woman started to speak.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Your Kaleb, right?” She asked the vampire.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes ma’am.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Please, call me Caroline.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, Caroline.” Kaleb smiled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You and…” Caroline glanced at MG and then at Jed, “you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What? Me?” Jed groaned, “Well at least he can vamp read.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shut up.” Kaleb rolled his eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hope averted her gaze away from their interaction, but then locked eyes with a certain brunette.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Blue meets brown.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The siphoner glanced down to where Landon’s hand was wrapped around her waist. If Hope knew any better, she would say that the other girl looked a little hurt. No that can’t be.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah, and last but not least, Josie and Hope.” Caroline smiled at them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What, why her?” Josie snapped her eyes up at her mom.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Me… with her?” Hope said in shock.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Caroline just laughed lightly before saying, “I have my reasons. Now let’s get to work everyone!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The pairs started to file out the door. Apparently Landon got grouped with Lizzie and MG.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Now it was just her and Josie.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Great. Just fucken great.</span>
  </em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I can feel the angst coming hehehe :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>No more tests for me so I can write a lot more now! This is a really long chapter so I hope you guys like it :)<br/>I'm working on a one-shot next so I may not update this again for a while, it depends.<br/>I realized that the beginning of this was really messy and I'm just starting to pick up the action, so bear with me. </p><p>This chapter has a lot of action though!<br/>Anyways, enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hope hadn’t seen Landon since their argument. Jed had told her Landon was fine and that he understands why she was mad. She didn’t understand how or why she did what she did, to be honest time passes by quickly, as if she is in daze. Some things she can’t remember, and it feels as if something is building up inside of her, she really should tell someone, but she doesn’t want to cause anymore trouble than she already has.</p><p>That’s what she tells herself every time she remembers coming out of her daze and realizing she was kissing Josie Saltzman. The brunette seemed angry, and Hope didn’t know why. When the Josie stalked off, Hope couldn’t help but feel a tear slide down her face.</p><p>Hope felt the need to distract herself, maybe that’s why she finds herself in front of Landon’s room, knocking.</p><p>“Hey… Hope?” Landon opened the door, looking at her curiously.</p><p>“I need to apologize…”</p><p>Landon nodded, “yeah, sure come in.”</p><p>“Where’s Rafael?” Hope asked seeing the other brother was gone.</p><p>“He’s hanging out with the pack” the curly haired boy sat down on his bed.</p><p>The tribrid felt extremely awkward, she should have planned this better.</p><p>“Look Landon, I’m sorry for being such an ass. I’ve been in a bad mood recently and… I don’t know, I guess some things pissed me off.”</p><p>Landon watched her pace around the room as she tried to explain herself, luckily, he saved her from her rambling.</p><p>He stood up and took her hands, “it’s okay, I forgive you. I’m sorry for not believing your love for me.”</p><p>Hope smiled and lent into the boy, their lips meeting in the middle.</p><p>She pulled back, resting their heads together, “I love you Landon Kirby.”</p><p>“I love you too, Hope Mikaelson.”</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p>Alyssa Chang grinned at the first monster she pulled out of the Malivore pit.</p><p>The Necromancer hadn’t yet figured out her plan. She was going to bring back the monsters using his magic and when she didn’t need him anymore, she would kill him. He thinks he’s controlling the monsters, but she is.</p><p>If everything goes according to plan, she’ll be able to take back her revenge and kill what Josie Saltzman adores, what she is too afraid of to admit, that she loves-</p><p>“Ah, this is going to be fun!” the Necromancer smiled with his yellow teeth showing.</p><p>“I don’t think they are quite ready for this monster… do you?” Alyssa watched as the monster wiggled and shrieked.</p><p>“they won’t know what hit them.”</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>A man with a long beard and dark brown eyes sighed as he walked his dog down the street. It was his usual routine, the sun rising slowly over the hill.</p><p>“It’s a beautiful morning, isn’t it Oscar?” The old man asked his dog.</p><p>The dog barked happily, wagging his tail.</p><p>Not many people were around this early in the morning, and especially not on this route.</p><p>It was his daily routine to walk his dog to the cemetery, where he visited his wife who died five years prior due to cancer.</p><p>So, no there was not many people on this route this early in the morning.</p><p>If the man had been paying attention, he probably would of noticed the low growl coming from the cemetery, but he didn’t; so he entered.</p><p>“Hey Karey, look I brought Oscar, he’s as healthy as always” The man smiled at the gravestone as he petted his dog, “you should have seen the neighborhood yesterday, there was a ton of graffiti because of some dumb teens. You never liked the way the next generation was turning out, did you hun?”</p><p>Silence followed.</p><p>That didn’t matter to him though, he kept on talking. Explaining how the day had went and how he had bought their favorite girl scout cookies. He talked as if she were there, as if she wasn’t dead.</p><p>“So yeah, that was my day yesterday” He smiled brightly, “I should be heading out now, I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”</p><p>The man placed his hand on the gravestone for a little before letting go and walking towards the path out of the graveyard.</p><p>For some reason, Oscar did not want to follow.</p><p>Soon the man realized why, Oscar was staring at a dog like figure on the other side of the cemetery.</p><p>“No Oscar, we’re going home” the man tugged on the leash, but it didn’t work.</p><p>The man watched as the dog ran behind the trees, Oscar of course wanting to chase it.</p><p>The old man let go, fearing he would fall if he kept hold of the leash.</p><p>“OSCAR!”</p><p>His dog ran after the other animal. He cursed under his breathe.</p><p>The man walked to where he had seen his dog run. The area was deserted, all the graves seemed to be neglected and the rising sun barely passed through the trees.</p><p>He whistled, “Oscar!”</p><p>The dog did not come.</p><p>“Oscar?”</p><p>A small whimper could be heard behind the tree in front of him.</p><p>He gulped, slowly walking around to see a horrifying beast.</p><p>Oscar was fine, the dog ran quickly away. Scurrying outside of the cemetery.</p><p>The beast growled before launching itself at the man.</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>Hope looked at the remains of what seemed to be a human body.</p><p>“What happened to them?” she asked Dr. Saltzman.</p><p>The headmaster shook his head, “well, the police are saying he was attacked by an animal.”</p><p>“What do <em>we </em>think happened to him?”</p><p>“That’s what we’re trying to figure out.”</p><p>A gagged sound could be heard behind them.</p><p>
  <em>Oh right, Landon was here.</em>
</p><p>“You alright?” Hope turned to her boyfriend, he had a hand over his mouth, his face turning awfully green.</p><p>“n-not really.”</p><p>Dr. Saltzman pulled out his phone and snapped a few pictures before walking away from the body.</p><p>“So?” Matt Donovan pulled them aside before they could go.</p><p>“I don’t know Matt; I need to look into it a little more.”</p><p>The mayor nodded his head, “just let me know what monster we have on our hands.”</p><p>“Will do.”</p><p>When they made it back to the school Dr. Saltzman called a group meeting. This meant she would have to see Josie, right?</p><p>She was correct, but also surprised to see a new guest.</p><p>Caroline.</p><p>Everyone stood around the headmaster’s desk. Landon had a protective arm around her waist, holding her close. If it was supposed to be comforting… it wasn’t.</p><p>The tribrid did her best not to glance at the brunette next to her.</p><p>
  <em>Was it just her or did the room feel smaller?</em>
</p><p>“I called Dorian and he gave me a few monsters to look into” Alaric said as he took out a sheet of paper filled with words.</p><p>“more like a couple hundred” Hope heard Lizzie mutter.</p><p>“Lizzie be nice. Let’s help your dad, okay?” Caroline said, she was in between the twins.</p><p>Lizzie sighed.</p><p>“I’m going to split you guys into pairs, we’ll be able to get things done easier.”</p><p>“Exactly what are we doing Dr. Saltzman?” Kaleb spoke up.</p><p>“I was just about to get to that Kaleb. You guys will go to the library and research there.”</p><p>The super squad sighed.</p><p>“I hate reading.” Jed groaned.</p><p>“Great! Do you mind if I pick the pairs?” Caroline clapped her hands together.</p><p>Alaric shook his head, “by all means, go ahead.”</p><p>The blonde woman stepped forward and looked at all the teens, as if she could see their very soul.</p><p>It made Hope feel exposed, like her deepest fears were being seen. She almost ran out of the room, but then the blonde woman started to speak.</p><p>“Your Kaleb, right?” She asked the vampire.</p><p>“yes ma’am.”</p><p>“Please, call me Caroline.”</p><p>“okay, Caroline.” Kaleb smiled.</p><p>“You and…” Caroline glanced at MG and then at Jed, “you.”</p><p>“What? Me?” Jed groaned, “well at least he can vamp read.”</p><p>“shut up.” Kaleb rolled his eyes.</p><p>Hope adverted her gaze away from their interaction, but then locked eyes with a certain brunette.</p><p>Blue meets brown.</p><p>The siphoner glanced down to where Landon’s hand was wrapped around her waist. If Hope knew any better, she would say that the other girl looked a little hurt, no that can’t be.</p><p>“ah, and last but not least, Josie and Hope.” Caroline smiled at them.</p><p>“what, why her?” Josie snapped her eyes up at her mom.</p><p>“me… with her?” Hope said in shock.</p><p>Caroline just laughed lightly before saying, “I have my reasons. Now let’s get to work everyone!”</p><p>The pairs started to file out the door, apparently Landon got grouped with Lizzie and MG.</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Great. Just fucken great.</em>
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</p><p>Josie grabbed a book off the shelf, not wanting to take a chance at making eye contact with Hope.</p><p>Hope grabbed a random book as well, deciding to lean against the bookshelf and read.</p><p>They read in silence for a while until Hope got impatient.</p><p>“So, you’re going to ignore me?” Hope leaned off the bookshelf.</p><p>Josie pretended not to hear her.</p><p>“I know you can hear me you’ve been reading that same damn page for the past five minutes.” Hope slid her book back into its rightful slot.</p><p>“We’re supposed to be researching.” Josie tried to keep her voice even.</p><p>Why was Hope mad? If anything, <em>she </em>should be mad. Hope was the one who kissed her and never gave her an explanation. On top of that, apparently Hope had apologized to Landon and they had gotten back together.</p><p>Josie should be the one mad.</p><p>“You and I both know that this research is going to take for hours, I don’t understand why we just don’t fight it.” Hope walked in front of the other girl.</p><p>Josie unconsciously took a step back, hitting the bookshelf behind her.</p><p>“I don’t know, Hope. It’s definitely not putting people’s lives at risk if we did that.” Josie said bluntly.</p><p>The auburn furrowed her eyebrows, a flash of frustration crossed her face.</p><p>“We’re putting people’s lives at risk every second we stay here reading,” Hope took the book out of Josie’s hands, “this is bullshit.”</p><p>Did Hope just call research <em>bullshit</em>? Usually Hope was all for researching, sure there were times they had to make quick decisions and ended up fighting monsters, but this was not one of them.</p><p>What’s changed?</p><p>“What’s wrong with you?” Josie shoved Hope away from her.</p><p>“What’s wrong with me? It’s the fact that people could be dying!”</p><p>“We haven’t had any reports and the citizens can’t be out at night, Hope.”</p><p>Hope threaded her hand through her hair, Josie worried she was going to rip it out.</p><p>“We don’t even know if it’s nocturnal, that thing ate a human early in the morning!”</p><p>Josie threw up her hands, “what do you want me to do about it? It’s not my choice on what we’re doing, and it’s not yours either.”</p><p>The tribrid clenched her fist together, her breathing heavy.</p><p>Did Hope always get this mad?</p><p>“You and I both know the adults aren’t reliable on decision making”, Hope leaned on the bookshelf behind her, closing her eyes.</p><p>Josie rubbed her forehead feeling a headache coming on.</p><p>“I know.”</p><p>Silence once again overtook the pair. The brunette and auburn staring at each other.</p><p>Josie knew she should bring up the kiss, but she felt like it was an unspoken agreement not to. Maybe Hope didn’t mean to, maybe it was a mistake. She was always second choice anyways. Plus, her and Maya are dating. They’re nothing official but Josie thinks it might be going somewhere. She can’t keep hesitating every time Maya calls and asks to go another date. She can’t keep waiting for Hope to all the sudden explain herself.</p><p>Josie doesn’t really know what she wants to hear from Hope. She just knows she wants to hear <em>something.</em></p><p>“I think I found it!” Landon’s voice booms throughout the library.</p><p>Josie is the first to move out of the isle, Hope trailing behind her.</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>“So, it’s a Ghoul?” Alaric asked as he peered over the book.</p><p>Landon nodded his head.</p><p>Josie wasn’t surprised at this point, if Santa was real… then Ghouls aren’t such a big shocker.</p><p>“what does it even do?” Kaleb asks, confused.</p><p>“Well, there most popular legend is the Arabian Ghoul”, Landon flips to a page that showed a creature that could be described as a skeleton with skin, body so thin you could see it’s bones and the feet large, “they inhabit burial grounds and deserted places, sometimes they take shapes of people and can lure them away.”</p><p>“So… they’re zombies?” Jed jumped in.</p><p>“Not quite, they also eat dead flesh.”</p><p>Josie felt vial rise in her throat.</p><p>“How do we kill it?” Hope said from behind everyone. Josie had almost forgotten she was there.</p><p>Landon looked at them anxiously.</p><p>“I don’t know…”</p><p>Lizzie groaned, “Well that’s just not good enough information bird boy-”</p><p>“Stop. Technically you can’t call me that anymore!” Landon says defensively.</p><p>Lizzie chuckled, “I can call you whatever the hell I want Chick-fil-A!”</p><p>Landon and Lizzie began to bicker, Kaleb and Jed throwing in some comments of their own.</p><p>“More like KFC!”</p><p>“Nah, a McDonalds happy meal but without the toy!”</p><p>Josie sighed, her headache growing.</p><p>Caroline looked at Alaric with a scolding glare, as if to say, ‘do you really let them behave like this?’</p><p>“Shut up!”</p><p>Everyone quieted down at Hope’s booming voice.</p><p>“Hope!” Alaric tried to scold the auburn.</p><p>“Don’t Hope me Dr. Saltzman, people can be dying right now and we’re bickering over my boyfriend and if he’s a happy meal or not!”</p><p>The brunette glanced at the tribrid; she was right, they needed to kill the Ghoul.</p><p>“I think I found out how to kill it!” MG vamp sped to them.</p><p>Josie didn’t even see him disappear.</p><p>“What do you got, MG?”</p><p>MG opened the book and read out loud, “To kill a Ghoul you have to kill it in one go…”</p><p>The squad was quiet.</p><p>“That easy? Just… kill it?” Landon laughed to himself, “we did all this research to just… kill it?”</p><p>Josie nodded. She had never heard of such an easy task.</p><p>Caroline clapped her hands together, “alright then! Let’s find this monster and kill it!”</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>“Where the hell could this monster be?” Lizzie groaned as they searched the cemetery.</p><p>“Who knows, the books didn’t give us much detail on how to trap them.” MG pouted.</p><p>Josie wasn’t really paying attention, only watching where she was stepping.</p><p>“Do you smell anything?” Kaleb asked Jed.</p><p>Jed wrinkled his nose, “yeah, dead people.”</p><p>Kaleb looked unamused.</p><p>“What about you, you hear anything?”</p><p>“Yeah, sure. Let me listen to dead people and see if I hear a heartbeat.” Kaleb deadpanned.</p><p>“Guys let’s be serious about this. The sun is going down and we don’t want to fight the thing in the dark.” Alaric held his crossbow under his arm, giving the teens a stern look.</p><p>“I think I saw something!” Landon pointed into a bunch of trees.</p><p>“Great. Now we have to go into the damn forest.” Lizzie rolled her eyes.</p><p>“Let’s split into groups you were in before, remember to stay by each other’s sides and don’t get lost. Call for backup if you find it.” Caroline began to walk into the forest.</p><p>Josie sighed; she really didn’t want to spend more time with Hope.</p><p>“good luck with Mikaelson, she hasn’t been in a good mood all week.” Lizzie gave her sister a quick hug before running to catch up with MG and Landon.</p><p>“You coming?” Hope asked the brunette.</p><p>Josie shrugged, “I don’t have much of a choice.”</p><p>The two girls entered the trees, the sunset turning into darkness.</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>“Why don’t you come back to school?” Hope walked behind Josie.</p><p>“Because I don’t have my magic.”</p><p>“so just take it back.” Hope replied as if it was that simple.</p><p>“I can’t.”</p><p>“Jo, I know you think you’re going to mess up again or allow the black magic back in but-”</p><p>“Hope, I don’t want to talk about this with you.”</p><p>The auburn huffed, “why not?”</p><p>Josie turned quickly, her face mixed with emotions, “I just want a normal life, is it not okay to want that? A normal life, be a normal person.”</p><p>Hope’s eyes softened, “You are normal Josie, you just have something a little more special than what others have.”</p><p>Josie looked away. She had already knew this, of course she knew this. But being away from the magic was easier than being near it, it was less tempting.</p><p>“You already know that don’t you? If you care so much about being a human than why are you here helping us?”</p><p>Josie shot up her eyes. Hope looked at her curiously, like she was an unsolved puzzle.</p><p>To be honest, Josie didn’t know herself.</p><p>“Something keeps bringing me back.” Was all the brunette muttered before walking deeper into the forest.</p><p>Hope didn’t follow behind her, knowing she needed to give the girl space.</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>“Is it just me or has Hope been a little… off?” MG asked his group.</p><p>Lizzie, MG, and Landon have been searching for what seemed like hours and have found nothing. The sun had already set, and the moon was almost above their heads.</p><p>“She has been moodier, but I thought that was just a normal Hope thing.” Lizzie folded her arms, the air getting cold.</p><p>Landon laughs, “that’s just her regular self, no need to worry about it.”</p><p>MG furrowed his eyebrows at Landon. Did he not see that his girlfriend had been acting strange?</p><p>Lizzie seemed to come to the same conclusion since she just shook her head lightly.</p><p>“what?” Landon asked clueless.</p><p>“It’s just-” MG was interrupted by a high pitch scream.</p><p>“EW EW EW!!!!” Lizzie screamed next to them, her face turning a shade of green.</p><p>“What?” MG ran over to her.</p><p>“THAT!”</p><p>Lizzie had stepped on a dissembled body, it looked like it had been dead for quite a while now. Must have been dug up by the Ghoul.</p><p>“now my shoes are all dirty!” Lizzie whined, holding her hand over face, as if she were going to puke.</p><p>Landon peered over their shoulders, making a gagging sound.</p><p>“Well, I guess we know where it’s been…”</p><p> The rest of the group nodded.</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p> Josie walked by herself, glad that Hope didn’t follow her. She just wanted to be alone at the moment. Alone with her thoughts, alone because that’s what she felt was right. She didn’t belong at the school anymore; she didn’t understand why she kept helping them when she could be doing other things. She could be with Maya and Ethan at the Mystic Grill right now, but instead she’s helping find a monster.</p><p>Just thinking about it gave her a migraine.</p><p>“Jo.”</p><p>The brunette turned around to see Hope leaning against a tree.</p><p>“I thought you were going leave me alone for a little.” Josie sighed, deciding to lean against her own tree.</p><p>The auburn smiled lightly, “now why would I leave such a pretty girl alone?”</p><p>Josie opened and closed her mouth.</p><p>Hope smiled more, stepping closer to the other girl.</p><p>“Hope, you can’t be saying those things.” Josie hissed at her.</p><p>The other girl pouted, “why not?”</p><p>Josie shook her head, leaning off the tree.</p><p>“why are you ignoring me again?” Hope jogged up to her as she began to walk away.</p><p>“Because your acting strange.”</p><p>Hope pulled on her arm making Josie turn around.</p><p>“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to act weird or strange. I just wanted to ask if you want to get out of here…”, Hope asked sweetly, but in the sound of her sweet voice there was something bitter. Something different.</p><p>“We have to find the Ghoul.” Josie pulled her arm out of Hope’s.</p><p>Josie was now getting freaked out by the second. The auburn growled before stomping off and saying something that sounded like, “I don’t even know why I bothered!”</p><p>That hurt a little.</p><p>The brunette shook her head, trying to erase the aching in her heart.</p><p>It shouldn’t be there.</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>Landon didn’t know how, but at some point, he got lost.</p><p>Why was it that he always got lost in the forest? And on top of that… it’s a cemetery.</p><p>Landon never liked cemeteries.</p><p>“LANDON OVER HERE!” a voice called.</p><p>The boy smiled; thank god his girlfriend was here to save him.</p><p>Landon ran towards the voice.</p><p>Going deeper and deeper into the woods, where not much light shined. Where nobody would be able to hear his screams.</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>Hope looked for Josie, not liking the fact that she had walked so far away on her own. Especially when there was a monster lurking somewhere in the cemetery.</p><p>“Josie!”</p><p>No answer. A voice in her head spoke.</p><p>
  <em>She doesn’t care about you.</em>
</p><p>“Josie!”</p><p>Again, no answer. It was getting late out, and Hope began to worry. The voice inside her head growing louder.</p><p>
  <em>Let me help you, let me out and I can fix that. I can make her care for you. </em>
</p><p>“Jo-”</p><p>
  <em>LET ME OUT.</em>
</p><p>“I’m right here.” The brunette walked up behind her.</p><p>Hope let out a sigh of relief.</p><p>“where have you been? I let you take a break by yourself not wander off deeper into the trees alone”, Hope scolded her.</p><p>Josie’s eyes widened lightly, like she had just realized something.</p><p>“you mean that wasn’t you who ran up to me?”</p><p>Hope furrowed her eyebrows, “no…”</p><p>Josie started to mutter to herself, things that Hope couldn’t pick up on. What Hope could tell was that Josie’s heartbeat was rising.</p><p>“Jo-”</p><p>“It was right by me; I was too stupid to see it. I couldn’t even tell the difference between you and the monster. Hope I couldn’t tell the difference!”</p><p>Hope grabbed on to the younger girl’s shoulders, holding her from her pacing.</p><p>“Josie, look at me.”</p><p>Josie didn’t meet her eyes.</p><p>“Look. At. Me.”</p><p>Finally, the brunette met her gaze, tears threatening to fall from the brown irises.</p><p>“It’s okay, your okay. We need to let the group know about it. Who knows what other people the Ghoul can impersonate.”</p><p>Josie nodded, her breathing still heavy.</p><p>Hope ran her thumb over the girl collarbone, trying to give some sort of comfort.</p><p>“Take deep breathes okay, breathe with me.” Hope said lightly, she knew her and Josie weren’t in the best place right now, but the other girl needed her help.</p><p>Hope took a breath in, holding it for 5 seconds before slowly letting it out.</p><p>Josie followed.</p><p>They repeated this for a few minutes longer. Hope not satisfied until Josie’s heart rate slowed down.</p><p>“You okay?” Hope finally asked, stopping her hand movements, but allowing them to rest on the girl’s shoulders.</p><p>Josie took one last deep breath and then nodded.</p><p>“yeah, thanks for that.”</p><p>Hope nodded, pulling her hands away so it doesn’t seem weird, “no problem.”</p><p>They stare at each other in silence, an unknown tension between.</p><p>Josie clears her throat.</p><p>“We should find the group.”</p><p>Hope nods, “yeah, yeah we should.”</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>“So, it could be any of us?” MG glanced at everyone in the circle.</p><p>Josie nodded, “yes.”</p><p>Alaric rubbed his head, “why would it want to impersonate us? What would it want?”</p><p>Hope shrugged, “maybe the Necromancer wants Landon.”</p><p>Landon stared at the ground not saying anything.</p><p>Josie thought this was odd.</p><p>“Landon, where do you think it could be?” Josie asked him.</p><p>The boy looked at her before speaking, “I wouldn’t know.”</p><p>Hope huffed, “It’s not here and everyone seems normal to me.”</p><p>“We should go home, if we get any reports, we can do another search. For now, we should get some sleep.”</p><p>“You’re right. Okay, kids lets head home.”</p><p>Alaric didn’t seem very happy about this idea but he followed anyways.</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>1 week later</strong>
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</p><p>Josie sat down on her bed, watching as the rest of the super squad situated themselves in the twin’s room. It had been a week since the monster incident, and they haven’t gotten any reports on it.</p><p>It scared Josie a little. It didn’t make sense that the monster just disappeared. It wouldn’t have gone back to where it came from, would it?</p><p>“Jo.” Lizzie said getting the other girls attention.</p><p>“yeah?”</p><p>“want some chocolate?”</p><p>Josie nodded, grabbing some out of the bowl her sister was handing her.</p><p>The super squad was having a movie night to celebrate a week without any monster showings.</p><p>It seemed odd, to have no more monsters.</p><p>The group ignored it.</p><p>“What are we watching?” MG asked.</p><p>“anything but Lord of the Rings.” Lizzie groaned.</p><p>Everyone looked at Landon to see his reaction. He was sitting by Hope, holding her close while he ate some popcorn.</p><p>He said nothing.</p><p>Weird.</p><p>“Landon? Are you not going to beg for us to put it on?” Kaleb was just as confused.</p><p>The boy finally looked up at them.</p><p>“Not really.”</p><p>Hope looked at her boyfriend with wide eyes, he usually never let them put on a movie without begging for Lord of the Rings first.</p><p>“what?” he asked them.</p><p>“Nothing, just surprising.” Lizzie clicked through the movies before settling on a horror movie.</p><p>Josie sighed, knowing she was going to have nightmares.</p><p>Great.</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>Landon smiled at the girl he was talking to. He did not know her name. It didn’t matter.</p><p>She was talking about a pool in her backyard, he thinks.</p><p>It doesn’t matter.</p><p>“Would you like to go somewhere with me?” he interrupted her sentence.</p><p>“Oh, sure!” The blonde girl smiled before following him behind a building.</p><p>There was nobody there and it was far away enough for nobody to notice them.</p><p>Hope could wait. He was hungry.</p><p>“This is definitely not creepy…”, the girl behind him said.</p><p>“I wanted to go somewhere private.” He tried his best to smirk.</p><p>The girl nodded, “oh, we could have gone back to my place-”</p><p>“No need.” He shoved her against the wall, “stay here.”</p><p>The blonde nodded, blushing lightly.</p><p>He ran further down the alleyway, finding a dumpster.</p><p>Perfect.</p><p>He hid behind it, taking off his clothes before allowing himself to shift back to his regular form.</p><p>For he was not Landon anymore but a monster. A monster that loved human flesh.</p><p>The monster growled as it walked out from behind the dumpster.</p><p>The blonde was not paying attention to it.</p><p>She was on her phone.</p><p>The Ghoul slowly walked over to her.</p><p>“I was thinking maybe we can go out to eat sometime. I know we just met but you’re really cute and-” The girl turned to it and screamed.</p><p>Her screams were soon silenced.</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>Josie had gotten back from school, a backpack hung over her shoulders. She was smiling from ear to ear, Maya had asked her to be her girlfriend.</p><p>She had said yes.</p><p>It’s been a while since Josie felt this happy, this in peace. The girl had nothing to worry about. There were no monster attacks, everyone was happy, and Josie felt… normal.</p><p>“Hope, why are you acting like this!?” Josie could hear Landon yell from the kitchen.</p><p>Maybe not completely normal.</p><p>Josie ran to them.</p><p>The brunette ran into the kitchen and almost got decapitated by a broken plate. Luckily, it had stopped right in front of her face.</p><p>“Josie?”</p><p>Josie looked at Hope who had tears streaming down her eyes, her hands now at her sides as she let the plates and other objects, fall to the ground.</p><p>“Hope?”</p><p>Landon looked between them; his face concerned.</p><p>“I didn’t mean to, I’m sorry.” The tribrid fell onto her knees.</p><p>Josie ran to her and pulled her into a hug, rubbing small circles into her back.</p><p>“Hey, I’m here. I’m here.” Josie whispered.</p><p>Landon walked over to them slowly.</p><p>“No!” Hope yelled at him, “I don’t want to see you!”</p><p>Josie narrowed her eyes at him. What had he done?</p><p>He gave Hope a sad understanding look before walking away.</p><p>The two girls sat in piece, Hope getting control over her emotions.</p><p>“I think he cheated…” Hope croaked out.</p><p>Josie felt her heart stop. Landon? Cheating? No matter how inconsiderate Landon can be of someone’s feelings, Josie would never have thought he would have cheated.</p><p>“What happened?” Josie pulled back and leaned against the cabinets, motioning for Hope to do the same.</p><p>“I saw him talking to this girl and I thought he was being friendly, the next thing I knew was that he was gone, and so was the girl.”</p><p>Josie nodded, waiting for the girl to continue.</p><p>“When he came back, he seemed like… I don’t know how to explain it. His hair was messy, and he had his shirt on backwards.” Hope shed another tear.</p><p>“Landon is an asshole. I’m sorry that happened to you,” Josie watched Hope play with the end of her skirt, tempted to grab it and hold it close to show her comfort. Josie can’t do that. It would be weird. Right? “He doesn’t deserve you.”</p><p>Hope looked up at her, the blue irises even more beautiful, “Maybe I wasn’t good enough.”</p><p>Josie let into her temptation, grabbing ahold of Hope’s hand.</p><p>“You are good enough, if anyone spent time with you, they would realize how special you are. You’re special, and if the person that you’re with doesn’t treat you that way”, Josie chuckles lightly, “then they’re an actual idiot.”</p><p>Hope smiled lightly at this.</p><p>“Thanks… for everything.”</p><p>Josie nodded. The brunette knew deep down that Hope wasn’t just talking about their conversations, she was talking about Josie being there, Josie not bringing up the kiss, Josie acting like a regular friend.</p><p>Just a <em>friend. </em></p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>-</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>That night Josie had another dream. This time it was in the cabin in her subconscious, Hope was there.</p><p>
  <em>Josie walked inside. The cabin door wide open.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Hey Jo.” Hope said, the auburn was dressed as red riding hood. The girl was sitting near the fire, waiting for her food to cook.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“hey?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The brunette walked over to her, sitting down near the tribrid.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Are you hungry?” the tribrid asked.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“No.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Hope nodded, “right, this is a dream.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Josie groaned, “I don’t understand any of this!”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“You do, you just don’t want to admit it to yourself.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Josie stood up and stared at the auburn. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“You look like Hope. You sound like Hope. But you aren’t Hope.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Hope chuckled, “I am Hope, well, at least your subconscious version of her.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em>The brunette furrowed her eyebrows. How is she talking to her subconscious, this shouldn’t be possible.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“I know what you’re thinking. You’re confused and you don’t know how this is happening. I can answer that for you if you please just sit down.” Hope got up and pulled out a chair at the small wooden dining table.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Josie obeyed.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Good. Now we can begin.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Josie watched as the auburn got herself a bowl of soup before sitting down in front of her. The brunette got impatient as dream Hope began to eat her food.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Are you not going to say anything?” Josie tapped her foot impatiently.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The other girl smirked, “Why should I say anything when you already know the answer to it.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“You don’t even know what I want to ask.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Actually, I do. You want to know what’s wrong with Hope. Cause deep down inside you know something isn’t right. Deep down you know that she isn’t the Hope Mikaelson you know.” Hope leaned back in her chair, smirking as Josie realized how much her subconscious knew. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>The brunette really shouldn’t be surprised. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“So, what is wrong with her?” </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“You already know the answer to that too.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Josie sighed exasperated, “I don’t.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“You do. You just don’t want to admit it. What do you think I’ve been doing the whole damn time! Those dreams you’ve had; it was all me.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“It was you? You do realize that these dreams make me feel like shit in the morning!?” Josie angrily folded her arms and pouted.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Yeah, but it was necessary. I thought you would have gotten the hint by now, but you are just as stubborn as your father.” Hope placed her feet on the table, waiting to see if Josie understood any of it.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Josie furrowed her eyebrows, thinking of all the dreams. Putting piece by piece together like a puzzle.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Hope didn’t wake up from her head dive into my subconscious. She was asleep for a while, it took Landon to kiss her awake for her to wake up…”, Josie did find it odd.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Weird right? Why would a kiss wake someone up? This isn’t a fairytale.” Hope smirked as Josie gave her an angry glare, the auburn clearly making fun of her for the way her subconscious looks. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Josie continued, “Then I had that dream where Hope said to not trust anyone. Well, I guess it was you that said not to trust anyone. I didn’t understand it. Her eyes went completely dark. After that dream she started acting out of control, like she wasn’t herself. Sometimes it seemed like she spaced out. Then I had another dream, there was two Hopes’? They seemed to be fighting, the fake Hope said something about letting her out somewhere. It was almost as if they were-”, Josie’s eyes widened, “fighting for control.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Hope nodded her head and started to clap her hands, “Now you’re beginning to understand.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“How did this happen?” Josie threaded her hand through her hair.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Subconscious Hope smiled lightly, “You already know the answer for that too, but it looks like we ran out of time. Good luck with that test you have, hopefully I didn’t make you too tired.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Wait!” Josie tried to call out to her, but she was already falling.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Falling.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Falling.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Falling.</em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Yes. Landon is dead. No. He is not coming back.</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I hope you like the chapter!<br/>Also if you want to, follow me on Twitter<br/>@sidbear_hosie</p><p>I think I'll try to update every Sunday or Monday.<br/>Leave comments, kudos, and ideas, they motivate me (:</p></blockquote></div></div>
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